Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood has said that the decision to reopen schools in the country was taken with great care.

In a tweet, he said that the health of students was the government's first priority and that any decision made would be guided by the advice of the health ministry.

"Having said that, the six-month closure deeply affected students. The decision to open was taken with great care. Any hasty decision to close will destroy education."

He added that 90 per cent of government and some private schools did not have online teaching facilities. "When these institutions close down, most students get no education at all. The loss of learning is immense and can take years to recover.

"While health is a priority, this factor must be kept in mind."