Punjab Schools requested funds to implement SOPs

Around 90 percent of Punjab schools are reportedly cannot afford to follow provincial government's standard operating procedures (SOPs) to reduce the risk of novel coronavirus spread.

According to reports, most of public schools in Punjab do not have the financial capacity to hire peons, security guards and have a basic infrastructure. Moreover, 85 percent private schools in the province get Rs500 to Rs2,000 monthly fee from each student.

The school administrators and owners have reportedly asked the government to provide funds for guaranteeing the implementation SOPs.

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Likewise, the teachers and management, parents of students are also anxious about the SOPs implementation.

Punjab government recently announced the detailed SOPs for the public and private schools as they are expected to open in the mid of September.

According to the SOPs document, all indoor games, sports activities, seminars and speech competitions will remain forbidden, while wearing a mask would be mandatory for students and teachers. The administrations of the schools is also asked to make proper arrangements for sanitization making soaps and other important cleaning and sanitizing products available at schools, while sterilization spray and proper cleanliness would also be compulsory. Several other instructions for SOPs implementation are also included in the guidelines.

Teachers unions of public and private schools have also voiced dissatisfaction over the SOPs guidelines. According to them, most of the schools lack resources required to implement the SOPs.

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"The Punjab government should issue funds to government schools for the implementation of SOPs as they do not have resources for this purpose. It is our request to the Punjab government if it is sincere about the health of teachers and students to immediately release special funds for the eradication of coronavirus to schools so that they can be put to use before their reopening," said Rana Liaquat, Secretary General of Punjab Teachers Union".

"Our 90% schools are getting fee below Rs3,000, including thousands of institutions where the fee is from Rs500 to Rs2,000. How can schools getting only Rs500 fee from a student implement the SOPs. Government should provide relaxation and facilities to the private schools and also provide masks and sanitizers to them," said Liaquat.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14th, 2020.