KARACHI: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday directed the education department to ensure implementation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) in all educational institutions so that children could be protected from epidemics adding “the institutions, public or private, which violate the SOPs must be brought to book”.

He said this while presiding over a meeting to review the coronavirus situation in the province.

Education Minister Saeed Ghani told the chief minister that he visited most of the schools when they were reopened on September 15 but found most of them were not following the SOPs, therefore he decided to close them from grade VI to VIII and now they would reopen on Sept 28.

He added that during this closure the schools would be able to develop necessary mechanisms to implement the SOPs.

The chief minister expressed his displeasure and directed the minister to issue necessary instructions to all the educational institutions, public and private, to ensure implementation of the SOPs in the larger interest of the children.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2020