While the federal and provincial governments have unanimously decided to keep the educational institutions closed till July 15 on account of the alarming spread of Covid-19 in Pakistan, a private schools association has opposed this move and demanded to open the schools and provide financial incentives to private educational sector.
Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, the office-bearers of National Association of Private Schools (NAPS) demanded that educational institutions be opened immediately with exercising precautionary measures, a bailout relief package for the private schools be introduced, the utility bills of private schools be waived off and the decision to further close the schools should only be taken after consultation with the National Health Ministry. NAPS president Chaudhry Obaidullah addressed the press conference along with co-chairman Malik Imran, general secretary Itrat Naqvi Syed, SVP Bashir Dar and other office-bearers of NAPS.
Chaudhry said the continued closure of the schools would put burden on the private schools which would result in employment and financial crunch, demanding that the government should announce a financial relief package for the private schools like it has announced for other sectors.
Earlier on May 7, National Coordination Committee meeting presided over by Prime Minister Imran Khan and attended by the chief ministers of all four provinces of Pakistan, PM Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), CM Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), federal ministers and other high-ranking officials, decided to keep the educational institutions closed till July 15 in the backdrop of rapid spread of Covid-19 in Pakistan.
The federal government had first ordered the closure of educational institutions from March 16 to April 5 as a precautionary measure against Covid-19. On March 31, the government decided to keep the educational institutions closed till May 31 before deciding on May 7 to extend this date to July 15.
On April 8, the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA) directed all the private educational institutions to provide 20 percent concession on monthly fees of Rs 5000 and above. PEIRA also directed the private educational institutions not to collect fees in advance, not to sack any of their staff members and pay their staff salaries regularly.
A senior lawmaker of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, requesting anonymity, rejected the demand to immediately open the educational institutions. "It is an established fact that the kids and elderly persons are highly vulnerable to Covid-19. In such a situation we cannot take any risk. The academic careers of the students are important but more important are their lives."
The legislator said the running expenses/operational costs of the private educational institutes have reduced due to closure of these schools since the mid of March.
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