SWAT: Private School Management Association (PSMA) Swat has announced to open schools from 15 August come what may.

It was decided in an emergency meeting of PSMA that was attended by principals and owners of all the private schools in Swat.

“On one hand closure of schools badly affects students and on the other hand it has left thousands of teachers jobless due to which they suffer financial problems,” said Ahmad Shah, district president of PSMA.

He added that they would open their schools in any case.

The participants of the meeting said that they would not care for government’s action. They said that they were ready to face any consequence because they neither wanted to waste students’ time nor could see their families of teachers starved.

They said that they respected the government’s efforts to control coronavirus and followed its orders during the lockdown. “But now every sector is open, therefore we have decided to open schools from August 15 by following SOPs,” said PSMA chairman of executive council Jalil Khan.

However, Deputy Commissioner Saqib Raza Aslam said that strict legal action would be taken against those principals, who opened their schools and FIR would be registered against them if students contracted coronavirus.

VARSITY: The Syndicate of University of Swat has approved budget recommendations of finance and planning committee worth Rs615 million for fiscal year 2020-21.

According to the press release, the 34th Syndicate meeting was held at University of Peshawar due to coronavirus pandemic that was presided over by UoS Vice-chancellor Dr Mohammad Jamal Khan.

“The body after thorough discussion approved the budget recommendations estimated at Rs615 million that would be utilised during the financial year 2020-21. The recommendations would be sent to Senate for formal approval of the budget estimates,” said the press release.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2020