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Coronavirus Pandemic : How will it affect students around the world?

UK schools to abolish social distancing in September - The Telegraph

Britain’s schools will not follow social distancing rules when students return to their classes full-time in September, The Daily Telegraph reported on Wednesday.

Pupils will not be expected to keep two metres, or even one metre, apart at all times while in a school building, the report bit.ly/3dxhZHY said.

According to the report, schools will be asked to focus on limiting the extent to which children mix outside of their class or year group and on implementing strict hygiene regimes.

An announcement is due next week, the report said.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-h...in-september-the-telegraph-idUKKBN23V36W?il=0
 
BREAKING: The UK government has confirmed GCSE and A-level students can sit an exam in the Autumn if they don't like their grade based on their coursework.
 
Thai children return to school at last

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It may be later than planned but children in Thailand are finally able to begin the new school term.

New measures have been introduced to help stop the spread of the virus, including the use of masks and social distancing between pupils.

And it's not just schools that are opening up - bars and clubs will also start welcoming customers again from Wednesday.

Thailand has recorded fewer than 4,000 coronavirus cases and just 58 deaths since the pandemic began.

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Families of children with special needs 'abandoned' during school closures

Families of children with special educational needs feel they have been "utterly abandoned" during school closures, an MPs' committee has been told.

Those with extra educational, physical or emotional needs saw support "fall off a cliff" during the coronavirus.

Risk assessments for Covid-19 were used by some schools to prevent special educational needs and disability (SEND) pupils from attending, the committee heard.

There was also concern national catch-up plans did not mention SEND children.

Ali Fiddy, chief executive of the Independent Provider of Special Education Advice, said her organisation was seeing families who were "very clearly struggling".

There was definitely not enough support being offered for parents, she said, with many families feeling "utterly abandoned".

Children with special needs plans were part of the group of children who were invited to continue schooling.

But, Fiddy said, in some cases the risk assessment process tied to the coronavirus outbreak was being used as an excuse to offer no services and keep pupils out of school.
 
LAHORE: Punjab Education Minister Dr Murad Raas has rejected reports of the government reopening schools in the province from August 15, saying that it will happen only if the coronavirus conditions are 'manageable'.

“FAKE NEWS. No date has been announced for opening of Schools in Punjab. What I have said is that if the conditions of COVID 19 are manageable, only then we will try to open by August 15, 20 under very strict SOPs. I will not endanger the lives of our children or our teachers,” Raas said in a post on Twitter.

Earlier reports of schools reopening from August 15 in Punjab had surfaced.

Raas, while speaking to the media on Saturday, had hinted that schools will reopen from August 15 if the coronavirus situation was normalised.

The minister had been quoted as saying that in the prevailing situation there were almost no chances of schools’ reopening from July 16. He said all the provinces would announce their decision for reopening of schools after a meeting scheduled for July 8.

Raas had said the School Education Department (SED) Punjab had prepared detailed SOPs so that once schools reopened, the same could be followed to protect the children.

The minister had said that if they were opened, schools would function in different shifts to ensure physical distancing among the students in classrooms.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/296425-sc...nditions-manageable-punjab-education-minister
 
Many UK universities have seen their finances hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

Now, a new study suggests that 13 universities face "a very real prospect" of insolvency following the crisis unless they receive a government bailout.

High-ranking universities with large numbers of international students face the largest immediate drop in income, says the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).

But the least prestigious universities are at the greatest risk, it warns. The researchers say the total size of the university sector's losses is "highly uncertain" - anywhere between £3bn and £19bn, or between 7.5% and almost half the sector's annual income.

The researchers' central estimate is an £11bn loss, amounting to a quarter of the sector's annual income.

The Department for Education said a government package announced in May, allows UK universities to access business support and job retention schemes, while the sector will also benefit from the pulling forward of £2.6bn in tuition fee payments to ease cash flow problems.
 
Trump says schools must reopen in fall, despite pandemic

US President Donald Trump said that schools must open in the fall, as governors struggle with a steady nationwide increase in coronavirus infections and states reverse and pause attempts to reopen.
 
The United States said Monday it would not allow foreign students to remain in the country if all of their classes are moved online in the fall over the coronavirus crisis.

“Nonimmigrant F-1 and M-1 students attending schools operating entirely online may not take a full online course load and remain in the United States,” US Immigration and Custom Enforcement said in a statement.

Students in such programs “must depart the country or take other measures, such as transferring to a school with in-person instruction to remain in lawful status,” it said.

F-1 students pursue academic coursework and M-1 students pursue “vocational coursework,” according to ICE.
 
How many foreign students could be affected by new US visa rule?

With many universities in the US moving tuition fully online due to the coronavirus pandemic, foreign students there have been told they may have to leave unless they do some tuition in person.

So how many students could potentially be affected by the announcement from the US Immigration and Custom Enforcement?

The ruling applies to specific types of visa issued for academic study. US government figures show that last year, more than 373,000 of these visas were granted.

The US had more than a million international students doing various graduate and undergraduate programmes in 2018-19, according to the Institute of International Education (IIE). That’s about 5.5% of the total student community in the country.

Out of these, nearly three-quarters were from Asia - 48% Chinese and 26% Indians.

The IIE says that according to the US Department of Commerce, international students contributed $45 billion to the country’s economy.
 
Kenyan schools to stay closed until 2021

Kenya's education ministry has said that all primary and secondary schools will reopen next year.

The ministry said all students will resume studies in their current classes.

Education Minister George Magoha said no final-year national examinations would be held for primary and secondary pupils this year.

Those exams are usually held in October and November each year.

Colleges and universities will however prepare to re-open in September this year with strict guidelines, the minister says, with only those that meet the requirements allowed to do so.

Schools across Kenya closed in March after the country's recorded its first coronavirus cases.

Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday reopened the borders of three counties that had been closed as part of the lockdown.

He then gave the education ministry 24 hours to give guidelines on the school calendar.
 
Trump vows to push governors to reopen schools as pandemic surges

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would pressure state governors to open schools in the fall, despite a surge in coronavirus cases across the country that have prompted some local officials to pause or scale back reopening plans.

Speaking at a White House event to discuss reopening of schools, Trump, who is seeking re-election in November, said some people wanted to keep schools closed for political reasons.

“No way, so we’re very much going to put pressure on governors and everybody else to open the schools,” Trump said, adding that both parents and their children want this.

The White House invited more than two dozen education and health officials from across the United States to discuss how to safely reopen schools.

The discussions were held as Missouri, Oklahoma and Montana reported record daily infections, and some Florida hospitals said their intensive care units were filling up.

Trump, a Republican, acknowledged that there were rising coronavirus infections in some states, but said that the mortality rate had dropped sharply, adding that young people who contract the virus “do extraordinarily well.”

“It’s time to be open, it’s time to stay open and we will put out the fires as they come,” he said of infections.

Trump criticized Harvard University’s decision on Monday to conduct all classes online for the 2020-2021 academic year.

“I think it’s ridiculous, I think it’s an easy way out and I think they ought to be ashamed of themselves,” Trump said.

Business and conservative groups have urged reopening schools safely as important to getting parents back to work and reviving the U.S. economy.

“Schools connect stu*dents with peers and mentors, channel youthful energy into productive pursuits, teach essential academic skills and knowledge, and give overwhelmed parents room to breathe and work,” the American Enterprise Institute think tank said.

Educators say socialization and other benefits such as school food programs are critically important. Experts have also shown online learning exacerbates the divide between poorer and more wealthy Americans, who have greater access to technology.

But the alarming surge in cases in the United States, especially among younger people, has raised concerns about the increased risk of spread by children to vulnerable adults at home as well as to older teachers and school staff.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-h...schools-as-pandemic-surges-idUKKBN2482E1?il=0
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">In Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and many other countries, SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PROBLEMS. The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election, but is important for the children & families. May cut off funding if not open!</p>— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1280853299600789505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Coronavirus: Elite universities sue over US visa ruling

Two elite US universities are suing immigration services over a decision to withdraw visas from foreign students whose courses move fully online.

Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology filed the lawsuit against Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Harvard President Lawrence Bacow said the visa move's "cruelty [is] surpassed only by its recklessness".

Many colleges are moving courses online amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Harvard had on Monday announced it would hold all classes online for the autumn term, with only 40% of undergraduates housed on campus.

The decision from ICE, the federal law enforcement agency within Homeland Security, came shortly after that, saying students could face deportation unless they changed to an institution with in-person tuition.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday lashed out at Harvard, calling its move online "ridiculous". He has been adamant that US schooling should return to normal in the autumn term.

Read more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-53337392
 
New U.S. CDC school reopening guidelines promised after Trump complains

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plans to issue new guidelines for reopening schools, Vice President Mike Pence said on Wednesday, after President Donald Trump criticized the agency’s recommendations as too expensive and impractical.

Trump, a Republican who is seeking re-election in November, accused Democrats of wanting to keep schools shut for political reasons and threatened to cut off federal funding to schools that do not reopen, despite a surge in coronavirus cases.

“I disagree with @CDCgov on their very tough & expensive guidelines for opening schools. While they want them open, they are asking schools to do very impractical things. I will be meeting with them!!!” Trump said on Twitter.

Flanked by top administration health and education officials, Pence said the CDC next week will issue a “new set of tools ... to give more clarity on the guidance going forward.

“The president said today we just don’t want the guidance to be too tough,” Pence said at a White House coronavirus task force briefing at the Department of Education.

CDC Director Robert Redfield stressed that agency guidelines were not requirements.

“It would be personally very disappointing to me, and I know my agency, if we saw that individuals were using these guidelines as a rationale for not reopening our schools,” Redfield said.

White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany told reporters the White House did not pressure the CDC to revise its recommendations.

The CDC has made a number of recommendations for schools, including testing for COVID-19, dividing students into small groups, serving packaged lunches in classrooms instead of cafeterias, and minimizing sharing of school supplies.

It has advised that seats be spaced at least six feet apart and that sneeze guards and partitions be put in place when social distancing is not possible.

Administration officials said local leaders would tailor their decisions on how schools reopen.

“Ultimately it’s not a matter of if schools should reopen, it’s simply a matter of how. They must fully open,” Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said.

States are responsible for primary and secondary education under the U.S. Constitution, but some have been holding off on deciding when and how to open schools, concerned about the resurgence of coronavirus across the country.

The U.S. outbreak has crossed the 3 million mark in confirmed cases, with a death toll of 131,336, according to a Reuters tally.

“The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election, but is important for the children & families. May cut off funding if not open!” Trump said on Twitter.

Acknowledging that the lion’s share of school funding comes from states, Pence said that the administration would work with Congress to look for ways “to give states a strong incentive and encouragement to get kids back to school.”

“It’s time for us to get our kids back to school,” he said.

The federal government provides some supplementary funding for schools, including through congressional appropriations. With Democrats controlling the House of Representatives, any effort to curtail funding is sure to face roadblocks.

McEnany said Trump is “looking at potential redirecting (of funding) to make sure it goes to the student and it is most likely tied to the student and not to a district where schools are closed.”

Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia said school reopenings were necessary for the U.S. economic recovery. Business and conservative groups have said parents need to get back to work.

On Tuesday, Trump said he would pressure state governors to open schools in the fall.

However, the surge in U.S. cases has raised concerns about the increased risk of children spreading the virus to vulnerable adults at home as well as to older teachers and school staff.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the federal government has no authority on schools and his state will announce its reopening plans in the first week of August.

In neighbouring New Jersey, Governor Phil Murphy said he planned to reopen state schools in the fall, but reserved the right to “tweak that if it means saving lives.”

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-h...ised-after-trump-complains-idUKKBN2492LR?il=0
 
Pakistan to reopen education institutions from Sept. 15

All education institutions in Pakistan will reopen from September 15, the country's education minister announced.

Addressing a press conference in the capital Islamabad, Shafqat Mahmood said all schools, colleges and universities, which were closed on March 13 due to the coronavirus pandemic, will strictly follow health guidelines formulated by the federal government.
 
Young people in England risk missing out on the grades they deserve, due to the system used for calculating results after exams were cancelled, MPs have warned.

Disadvantaged and ethnic minority pupils face particular risks from the possibility of unconscious bias, said the Commons Education Committee.

This year, teachers will predict pupils' GCSE and A-level grades.

Exam boards then moderate the estimated grades and issue the final results.

This statistical check, designed by England's exams regulator, Ofqual, includes the historic results of pupils at each school, the prior attainment of students, and statistical expectations about grade distribution for each subject.

Similar systems are being used in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The aim of this standardisation model is to ensure results are broadly in line with previous years - and guard against a situation where a school could give all of its pupils unrealistically high marks.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson cancelled GCSE and A-level exams at the end of March for the first time in their history because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The committee received numerous submissions about the possibility that some groups' achievement levels would be underestimated.

It said there was abundant academic evidence of bias on predicted grades, particularly affecting pupils from black, Asian and other ethnic minority groups, as well as pupils from poor backgrounds and those with special educational needs and disabilities.

But the committee insisted the report was not a criticism of teachers, as everyone can be affected by unconscious bias - which is making judgements based on a person's background or race, without being aware of such bias.

Ofqual's deputy chief regulator, Michelle Meadows, told the committee: "There is some evidence of bias.

"For the most able students [with an ethnic minority background], there tends to be under-prediction of the grades that students go on to get. At lower levels of ability, you get the reverse effect where there is some over-prediction."

'No perfect system'
Education Committee chairman Robert Halfon said his committee recognised the work carried out by Ofqual and the Department for Education to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on children's education.

He accepted "no system for awarding grades will be perfect".

But he warned: "We have serious worries about the fairness of the model developed by Ofqual.

"There is a risk it will lead to unfair bias and discrimination against already disadvantaged groups."

He also questioned the fairness of the appeals system, which he said seemed to favour "the well-heeled and sharp-elbowed", who know how to navigate the system.

He added that there was a potential for the system to resemble the "Wild West of appeals" with different systems being used by different exam boards.

The standardisation system, being used by Ofqual, draws on a number of evidence sources to determine whether the grades calculated by teachers are more generous or less generous than expected.

It means the grades each pupil receives in the end may be different from the ones their school has attributed to them.

And the committee called on Ofqual to publish its standardisation criteria, arguing it was only by having a transparent process that pupils could check to see if they had been subject to bias in grade calculations.

The committee also heard concerns about the use of historic school data to modify results which may be unfair to pupils in newer schools or those which are improving.

Association of School and College Leaders' general secretary Geoff Barton said schools and colleges were utterly opposed to discrimination and had done everything possible to avoid unconscious bias affecting grades.

He added: "They have gone about the centre-assessed grades in extraordinarily difficult circumstances and with the utmost diligence.

"They know their students well and have done their best to ensure the grades are submitted to exam boards are fair and accurate."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-53364485
 
Fauci would leave school reopening decisions to local officials

U.S. school districts hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak, under pressure from President Donald Trump to resume classes, should decide for themselves whether to reopen based on their circumstances, leading infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said on Tuesday.

Asked his views in light of Trump having urged schools to reopen as quickly as possible, Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said, “We should try, as the default, to get the kids to stay in school.”

“If you’re in the part of a country where the dynamics of the outbreak are really minimal, if at all, then there’s no problem at all in getting back. If you’re in a situation where you’re in outbreak mode, then you leave it up to the local individuals,” he said, speaking at an online event hosted by Georgetown University.

Tensions between Trump and Fauci have risen with the decline of Trump’s popularity in opinion polls over the president’s handling of the outbreak. Fauci’s White House briefings on COVID-19 have made him a household name.

Facing a battered economy as he seeks re-election in November, Trump has pressured schools to reopen, saying the Treasury Department would re-examine their tax-exempt status and federal funding if they did not resume in-person classes.

It was unclear how Treasury could restrict funds. Most primary and secondary school funding is local.

With the new school year due to begin in weeks, some U.S. districts have announced plans to reopen for students who want to attend in-person classes, while others will offer only online instruction or a mix of classroom and remote learning.

The United States has reported record numbers of new coronavirus cases in recent days, with much of the surge coming from Arizona, California, Florida and Texas.

Fauci said he expected deaths to rise along with hospitalizations in those regions, but because the infections are affecting younger people more than in previous surges, the death rate should remain below the earlier peak.

“We will likely see some more deaths as people get hospitalized, but I doubt that it’s going to go up to the extent that we’ve seen before,” he said.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-h...cisions-to-local-officials-idUKKCN24F2T8?il=0
 
California to release rules for reopening schools on Friday as coronavirus cases mount

California Governor Gavin Newsom will release new guidelines for opening schools as coronavirus cases continue to mount in the most populous U.S. state, his office said Thursday.

The guidelines, to be released on Friday, come amid an intense debate across the United States about whether it would be safe to send children and teachers back into the classroom amid an ongoing pandemic.

The discussion has taken on a political tinge, as Republican President Donald Trump urges a return to regular school schedules, while many Democrats urge a more cautious approach, such as a continuation of virtual lessons.

In California, numerous school districts, including Los Angeles Unified, the state’s largest, have already said they would begin the school year with remote learning.

Several school districts in more conservative agricultural areas, however, plan to offer in-person learning for students.

Newsom has not yet indicated what the new guidelines will comprise, or whether he plans to order all schools districts to begin the fall term with distance learning.

However, California’s powerful teachers unions strongly oppose in-person instruction without safety measures that could be difficult and expensive to implement. School administrators in Los Angeles, San Diego and Sacramento moved to cancel in-person instruction days after the unions expressed their concerns.

Among the possible actions are a statewide ban on reopening or county-by-county rules based on the number of coronavirus cases. A statewide rule could upend the plans of some more rural and conservative counties to hold classes as usual when school starts next month.

The state could also impose such restrictions as requiring face masks and protective gear for teachers and students, banning sports and requiring a so-called hybrid model under which students attend smaller, in-person classes for half the day or part of the week, followed by remote or online work done at home.

In-person safety measures as well as remote learning will require additional funding from the state and federal government, most experts say.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-h...as-coronavirus-cases-mount-idUKKCN24H32R?il=0
 
COVID-19: US colleges yet to decide on resuming sport activities

The pandemic has forced US colleges and universities to cancel classes, and sport in the first half of 2020.

Now, campuses are slowly reopening, but colleges have to decide whether it is safe for student athletes to get back on the playing fields.

And there is more than just trophies at stake.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...esuming-sport-activities-200720123139102.html
 
'Good progress' on reopening schools in Scotland

"Good progress" is being made in trying to open schools full-time to children in Scotland on 11 August, the country's Education Secretary John Swinney has said.

On Thursday he will make a statement at Holyrood where he said he would outline the "practical and logistical preparations" being made for pupils to return, covering measures including a surveillance programme, outbreak management protocols and quick access to testing for all symptomatic staff and pupils.

However, he reiterated that full-time resumption of studies will only happen on 11 August if the virus continues to be suppressed, with a decision being made on 30 July.

Meanwhile, children under the age of five in Scotland with coronavirus symptoms will be able to access testing from Wednesday
 
A-level and GCSE results to be higher this summer

GCSE and A-level results in England will be higher this summer, with exam boards set to be more lenient.

Written exams were cancelled because of the pandemic - with pupils' results to be based on predicted outcomes.

The watchdog Ofqual says the numbers getting good grades will be 2% higher at A-level and 1% at GCSE.

But they will be much lower than the "optimistic" predictions from teachers, which at A-level would have pushed up results 12% higher than last year.

The exam regulator says it is also confident, from preliminary results, that there has been no "unconscious bias" in predicted grades that would have disadvantaged ethnic minorities or poorer students.

A report from the education select committee this month warned of the risk that some pupils could be discriminated against.

But Ofqual says there is no evidence of any widening gaps in this summer's results, in terms of ethnicity, gender or deprivation, compared with years when pupils have taken exams.

While individual pupils will not find out their GCSEs and A-levels until next month, the process of standardising these predicted grades means that the overall national picture is already emerging.

The exam regulator says this will be a more generous year, with candidates more likely to be given the benefit of the doubt.

So for instance, last summer 25.5% of candidates achieved an A grade or above at A-level - and this year it will be more like 27.5%.

Ofqual says to expect variations in terms of subject and grades - but overall results will be "slightly better" than the previous year.

But teachers, who had to submit predicted grades, would have been much more generous and the exam boards have had to bump down the grades much closer to last year's.

At A-level, the predictions for A grades would have pushed up results by 12.3 percentage points - if they had not been knocked back down by the exam boards.

For GCSE, results would have jumped upwards by 9 percentage points, based on teachers' predictions.

The grades to be given to pupils will be based on a range of evidence - including their previous exam results, the distribution of grades in the school in recent years, how schools ranked their pupils in expected outcomes, as well as their teachers' predictions.

But because grades will be linked to schools' performance in previous years, schools that have been rapidly improving will not necessarily see that in this year's results.
If pupils are not happy with their results based on predictions, they will be able to take written exams in the autumn.

Nansi Ellis of the National Education Union welcomed the "commitment to equalities" in the results so far, in terms of the risk of bias - and that "there appear to be no obvious differences between the grades of different groups of students".

Paul Whiteman of the National Association of Head Teachers backed the replacement grades, saying "while not a perfect solution, this is the fairest and most pragmatic alternative to sitting exams".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-53492283
 
British pupils 'struggled to continue learning at home'

A majority of British children struggled to continue learning at home during the lockdown, a report says.

The Office for National Statistics research found that of the 52% who struggled, three-quarters of parents gave a lack of motivation as a reason.

The research, based on weekly household surveys between April and June, also found women's well-being was being more adversely affected than that of men.

It also showed wide disparities in what families were able to do.

The ONS researchers assessed nationally representative surveys of more than 12,000 people in Great Britain between 3 April and 7 June about their experiences of home-schooling during the coronavirus pandemic.

'Not motivated'

Schools closed for most pupils at the end of March in England, Wales and Scotland, as the pandemic took hold. Some schools re-opened in England on or around 1 June for some year groups.

Perhaps surprisingly, the research found only one in 10 parents complained about lack of devices to work on, although this rate doubled for single-parent households.

Providing laptops for disadvantaged children has been a focus of England's government.

However, lack of motivation was by far the biggest reason for parents to say their children had found it difficult to carry on with school work.

One-in-three women said the situation was negatively affecting their well-being, compared with one in five men.

Some 43% of home-schooling parents said their children's well-being was being negatively impacted by the experience.

Impact on work
Parents who had not been working in the previous seven days were significantly more likely to have been helping children with their school work (86%), compared with those who had worked (74%).

And parents with a university education were more likely to have attempted home schooling than those without.

Notably, just under half (49%) of parents were confident to some degree in their ability to help their children's learning.

While nearly a third of working parents said the requirement to home school had been negatively affecting their job.

A separate report by the ONS, found women were bearing the brunt of the home schooling experience, with women tending to carry out more educational and caring tasks during lockdown.

The findings will be particularly worrying for parents of children facing exams in the near future.

Although exam boards have said they will be taking account of some of the lost learning by delaying next summer's exams slightly, there have been calls fro head teachers for many more changes to ensure pupils are treated fairly.

Governments in England, Wales and Scotland are aiming for a full return of pupils when the new term begins, but there are concerns that local lockdowns could see some children sent back home.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-53498523
 
US health agency urges schools to reopen

The top health agency in the US issued new guidelines on reopening schools, stressing the need for children to get back into the classroom despite fears about safety as coronavirus cases surge across the country.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) added the documents, titled The Importance of Reopening America's Schools this Fall, after President Donald Trump called earlier recommendations too tough, impractical and expensive.

Trump sees reopening of schools as important to boost the economy as he seeks re-election in November.

Dr Robert Redfield, CDC director, said the additional documents were "all put out with the intent to help facilitate … the full reopening of schools for face-to-face learning".
 
COVID: US schools open or not, students of colour bear the brunt

Racial inequality in the United States has become a defining feature of the coronavirus pandemic, according to recent data, in terms of its health and economic impact, as well as its effect on education.

As schools are set to reopen across the country in various forms, Black and Latino children will be disproportionally affected, regardless if schools remain physically closed or if they reopen.

According to recent polling by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), children of colour are more likely to fall behind the longer they stay home from school because they have limited access to critical resources and their parents have more health and economic fears - raising concerns that the pandemic will only exacerbate inequities in American society.

Low-income children, who are mostly Black and Latino, struggle for access to computers and internet service. They also face pressures at home that wealthier, mostly white families do not. Black and Latino parents are more worried than white parents that their children will fall behind in school, and fear they will be unable to work, even from home, while supervising children.

Parents of colour are also more worried than white parents about losing the other benefits that schools provide, like social services and food.

With coronavirus infections still rising across many states in the country, many school districts are planning to start the school year either fully or partially online.

President Donald Trump, who is running for re-election in November, has made plain his desire to see schools reopen in the fall so that parents can get back to work and help the US economy bounce back after a shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidelines that strongly supported schools reopening this academic year, arguing children learn best when they are physically in their classrooms.

But many local leaders said the health risks are too great. Although children do not get particularly sick from COVID-19, less is known about how much they can spread it to others, raising worry about the health of teachers and school employees.

Further reflecting the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus pandemic on communities of colour, 91 percent said they are either "very worried" or "somewhat worried" about their child getting sick with coronavirus if they return to school this school year, compared with 55 percent of white parents, according to the KFF poll published on Monday.

And 73 percent of parents of colour are worried about their children falling behind academically, while 65 percent of parents of colour were worried losing income if they cannot go to work, compared with 41 percent of white parents.

There is also evidence that learning loss will probably be greatest among Black and Latino students, who are less likely to have access to high-quality remote learning or to a conducive learning environment, such as a quiet space, their own devices, high-speed internet and parental supervision.

According to an analysis by McKinsey, students will likely lose on average 6.8 months of learning if in-class instruction does not resume until January 2021. But Black students may fall behind by 10.3 months and Latino students by 9.2 months.

But as half-dozen US states reporting record numbers for coronavirus deaths, a bitter political debate is raging about the reopening of schools in the coming weeks.

While Trump and members of his administration continue to push for students to return to class, many teachers and local officials continue to call for online learning.

On Tuesday, one of the largest teachers' union in the country, said it was authorising its members to strike if their schools plan to reopen without proper safety measures.

"We will fight on all fronts for the safety of our students and their educators," Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said during the union's virtual convention on Tuesday. "But if authorities don't protect the safety and health of those we represent and those we serve, as our executive council voted last week, nothing is off the table."

The group said school buildings should open only in areas where coronavirus infections are low enough and if schools enact certain safety measures.

According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 4.3 million Americans have contracted the virus, and more than 149,000 have died, leading the world in both figures.

Further highlighting the tension around the issue, while school districts in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Houston have announced they will all begin the school year online only, the Texas Education Agency, the state's overseer of public education, said it would deny funding to schools that delay in-person classes because of orders by local health authorities related to the pandemic.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued guidance that health authorities cannot impose "blanket" school closures for coronavirus prevention. Any such decision is up to school officials, he said.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...udents-colour-bear-brunt-200729143054919.html
 
UN chief warns world facing 'generational catastrophe' on education

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that the world faces a "generational catastrophe" because of school closures amid the coronavirus pandemic and said that getting students safely back to the classroom must be "a top priority", according to Reuters news agency.

Guterres said that as of mid-July schools were closed in some 160 countries, affecting more than 1 billion students, while at least 40 million children have missed out on pre-school.

This came on top of more than 250 million children already being out of school before the pandemic and only a quarter of secondary school students in developing countries leaving with basic skills, he said in a video statement.

"Now we face a generational catastrophe that could waste untold human potential, undermine decades of progress, and exacerbate entrenched inequalities," said Guterres as he launched a U.N. "Save our Future" campaign.
 
Scotland's results day: Thousands of pupils have exam grades lowered

Thousands of Scottish school pupils have received worse results than they had been expecting after the country's exam body lowered 125,000 estimated grades - a quarter of the total.

Exams were cancelled for the first time in history due to the coronavirus.

Results were worked out using estimates made by teachers based on the pupil's performance over the school year.

However, a national moderation system meant that many pupils received lower grades than originally estimated.

Many pupils have spoken of their disappointment at being given lower grades than they had achieved in prelim exams, with some claiming they have suffered because they are from less affluent areas.

Opposition politicians have warned that there will now be a "deluge" of appeals, and accused the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) of treating the professional judgement of teachers with "contempt" by changing so many grades.

The SQA said its moderation process had ensured "fairness to all learners" and maintained "standards and credibility" in the qualification system.

Read more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-53636296
 
Scottish students who had their grades moderated up will not have their results downgraded and Education Secretary John Swinney says the government will work with universities to ensure that pupils are not "crowded out" of places they have been promised.

It comes after the government had faced criticism over its grading of pupils after exams were cancelled amid the coronavirus pandemic. Results were given based on teachers' estimations but also on the past performance of the school - leading to criticism that bright students in poorer schools could be unfairly penalised.

More than 124,000 results were downgraded, with the pass rate for higher pupils from the most deprived areas of Scotland being reduced by 15.2%, compared with 6.9% in the most affluent parts of the country.

Mr Swinney has faced calls to resign amid criticism from political opponents, parents, teachers and pupils.

Nicola Sturgeon apologised to pupils yesterday and Mr Swinney, her deputy, followed suit today.

He said: "Perhaps our approach to maintaining standards for the 2020 cohort alongside every other year - even though 2020 is so unique - did not fully understand the trauma of Covid-19 for this year group and did not appreciate that a different approach might actually help to even things out."
 
A-level students in England will be able to use grades in mock exams to progress to university and college courses and employment, the education secretary is set to announce.

The change forms part of what Gavin Williamson has called a "triple lock" to give students confidence in the moderation system, which can see predicted results set by teachers downgraded based on a school's previous record.

Source SKY
 
No partying after results, police warn students

Greater Manchester Police has warned students getting their A-level results tomorrow not to hold any parties, saying fines could be issued for breaching coronavirus restrictions.

"We do not want to spoil what should be a joyous occasion by issuing fixed penalty notices at any house parties or illegal gatherings," said Assistant Chief Constable Nick Bailey.

Manchester is part of a swathe of northern England that was placed under enhanced coronavirus restrictions on 31 July after a spike in cases.

Police said that house parties, some of which involved 17- and 18-year-olds, had played a part in the rise. And last weekend, there were 1,106 reports of lockdown breaches, 540 of which were house parties, they said.
 
A-levels: Heads warn of 'unfair' grades for students

Head teachers are warning of "volatility" in this year's A-level results and that some lowered grades seem to be "unfair and unfathomable".

In England, 36% of entries had a lower grade than teachers predicted and 3% were down two grades, in results for exams cancelled by the pandemic.

But the overall results, across England, Northern Ireland and Wales, show record highs for A* and A grades.

Controversy has surrounded how results have been decided.

There was "deep frustration" in schools about the confusion caused by late changes to the results system, including the use of mock grades, said Geoff Barton, leader of the ASCL head teachers' union.

"While there has been an overall increase in top grades, we are very concerned that this disguises a great deal of volatility among the results at school and student level," said Mr Barton.

"We have received heartbreaking feedback from school leaders about grades being pulled down in a way that they feel to be utterly unfair and unfathomable. They are extremely concerned about the detrimental impact on their students."

For the top A* and A grades, independent schools in England saw the greatest improvement on last year - up 4.7 percentage points.

This compares to a 1.7, 2 and 0.3 percentage points improvement for top grades for England's academies, comprehensives and colleges respectively.

The Sixth Form Colleges Association has called the system for calculating A-level grades, "flawed and unreliable" after almost all colleges said grades were lower or much lower than predicted.

A third of college principals also reported results lower or "dramatically lower" than their historic exam performance.

But the Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said the "majority of young people will have received a calculated grade today that enables them to progress to the destination they deserve, with the added safety net of being able to appeal on the basis of their mock results, as well as the chance of sitting autumn exams".

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Read more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-53759832
 
ISLAMABAD: Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood shared on Thursday that the government will approach the British Council, Cambridge, and the British High Commission over the unfair grading in the O and A level meted out to Pakistani students.

The minister said the Pakistani students appearing in the Cambridge exams have largely been graded unfairly which has spoiled their hard work.

"We are approaching the British High Commission and British Council to address this serious miscarriage of justice and hopefully, a redressal mechanism would be found out," said Mahmood, while talking on Geo News programme ‘Capital Talk’.

Regarding the new unified curriculum, Mahmood said all the schools from classes I to V will follow the curriculum from April which abides by the tenets of the Holy Quran and Sunnah.

The federal minister also expressed confidence that once the class XII curriculum is ready and available, students would opt for the domestic system over O and A level courses.

Mahmood said the NCOC has decided to keep all educational institutions across the country closed till September 15 because of health risks to children.

"The private schools and madrassahs must not violate the government's directions in this regard forcing the latter to take action," the minister said. The minister said the government will shut down any schools which open without permission on August 15.

Students claim unfair treatment meted out to them

The Cambridge International had cancelled its May/June 2020 series worldwide with the announcement to award certificates without exams. The CAIE followed a four-step assessment mechanism which included teachers’ predicted grades, ranking order, school review/approval and standardisation. However, after the results were announced on 10 August, students started raising concerns as they got grades against their expectations and previous performance.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/302697-go...dge-high-commission-over-cie-results-minister
 
A-levels: Labour call for government U-turn over 'exams fiasco'

Labour has called on ministers to act immediately to sort out an "exams fiasco" in England and stop thousands of A-level students being "betrayed".

It said it was unacceptable that a "flawed system" had led to 280,000 pupils having their marks downgraded.

Sir Keir Starmer said ministers must follow the lead of Scotland and allow teacher assessed marks to be accepted.

Ministers say this risks "grade inflation" and disadvantaged pupils had not been disproportionately affected.

But some Tory MPs have challenged the fairness of how grades have been decided.

Schools North East, representing over 1,100 schools in the north east of England, also backed the use of teachers' predictions.

But they said if that was not possible there needed to be a much more rapid and transparent way for schools to appeal - saying that using mock grades or relying on autumn exams was inadequate.

In London a group of protestors gathered outside 10, Downing Street to express their anger at the results while petitions, calling for more weight to be given to teacher assessments, gathered tens of thousands of signatures.

After exams were cancelled due to the pandemic, grades were awarded using a controversial modelling system - with the key factors being the ranking order of pupils and the previous exam results of schools and colleges.

This produced more top grades than has ever been seen before in A-levels - almost 28% getting A* and As - but head teachers have been angry about "unfathomable" individual injustices in the downgrading of some results.

In England, 36% of entries had grades lower than their teachers predicted and 3% were down two grades.

There are now calls to switch away from this system and to use teachers' predictions, in the way that the government U-turned in Scotland.

But England's exam watchdog Ofqual has warned that using teachers' predictions would have artificially inflated results - and would have seen about 38% of entries getting A*s and As.

'Injustice'
Labour said the lack of consistency in individual results was "heartbreaking" for those affected and the government was squarely to blame for sticking with a "fatally flawed results system".

"Across the last 24 hours the scale of the injustice has become clear," said Sir Keir.

"Young people and parents right across the country, in every town and city, feel let down and betrayed.

"The unprecedented and chaotic circumstances created by the UK government's mishandling of education during recent months mean that a return to teacher assessments is now the best option available," said the Labour leader.

"No young person should be at a detriment due to government incompetence."

Labour's education spokeswoman Kate Green also called for appeals to be able to be made by individual students, not only through schools.

The Equalities and Human Rights Commission has urged the exams regulator Ofqual to consider the equality impacts of all their actions and mitigate against any potential negative affect on disadvantaged and minority groups.

EHRC Chief Executive, Rebecca Hilsenrath, called on the watchdog to publish a full breakdown of the differences between teacher assessed grades and the final grade.

"Students who have been downgraded must be able to appeal directly if they believe their grades are unfair," she said.

Figures from Ofqual showed independent schools had disproportionately benefited from the rise in top grades - up by five percentage points, compared with two percentage points for comprehensives and 0.3 percentage points for further education colleges.

The chairman of the Education Select Committee, Tory MP Robert Halfon, urged Ofqual to "explain properly how their model has worked and whether it has been fair".

Mr Halfon also said exam appeals "should be no cost" to students.

Another, Tory MP. Robert Syms, urged the government to "go on teacher recommendation" arguing that grade inflation would be less unfair than failing students who did not have the chance to take exams.

While Conservative Peer, Lord Porter of Spalding, called the process for awarding grades "shambolic" and said it made him ashamed to be a member of the party.

Lord Porter also criticised the fees charged for appealing grades which can amount to more than £100 for an unsuccessful appeal.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-53775682
 
A-levels: Oxford University's Worcester College 'will honour offers' despite results

An Oxford college has said it will honour all places it offered to UK students, irrespective of their A-level results.

There has been anger among schools, colleges and students since Thursday when 40% of awarded A-level grades were lower than teachers' predictions.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the results were a "robust set of grades".

Worcester College said it had given offers to its "most diverse cohort ever" before exams were cancelled.

In England, 36% of entries had a lower grade than teachers predicted and 3% were down two grades after exams were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

School and college leaders are calling for a review and have said all fees for appeals should be waived.

However, the overall results, across England, Northern Ireland and Wales, show record highs for A* and A grades.

A statement on the website of Worcester College, which has about 700 students, said: "Many members of our college community and beyond have expressed their concern for the potential impact of yesterday's A-level results on this year's incoming students.

"At Worcester we made offers in 2020 to our most diverse cohort ever, and in response to the uncertainties surrounding this year's assessment, we have confirmed the places of all our UK offer-holders, irrespective of their A-level results."

Staff at another Oxford college, that has not confirmed places, told the BBC they had been "flooded with emails" from concerned alumni that deserving students could lose out.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said pupils would be able to sit exams in the autumn if they felt they "could have done better" or felt there had been "an injustice".

He added: "But looking at the big picture, I think overall we've got a very robust set of grades, plus you've got the situation in which more pupils than ever before are getting their first choice course at university and more kids from disadvantaged backgrounds going to university."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-53780498
 
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood has said that Cambridge International has agreed to review its grading procedures regarding the recently declared CIE results for O' and A' Levels after an outcry from Pakistani students who felt they were unfairly graded.

“As a result of our intervention conveying the anguish of our students, I have just heard that Cambridge has agreed to review its grading procedure regarding the recently declared results,” Mahmood said in a post on Twitter.

He added that Cambridge International will announce its final verdict on the matter after review on Tuesday.

Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, Cambridge International had cancelled its May/June 2020 series worldwide with the announcement to award certificates without exams.

The CAIE followed a four-step assessment mechanism which included teachers’ predicted grades, ranking order, school review/approval and standardisation. However, after the results were announced on 10 August, students started raising concerns as they got grades against their expectations and previous performance.

In its statement issued on Friday, Cambridge International said it had been listening to feedback and suggestions from schools and students and had been “looking carefully at how to act on it.”

“Since we released our results on August 11, we've been listening to the feedback and suggestions from our schools and students. We know schools have been pleased that we were able to provide grades in challenging circumstances,” it said.

It added, “We have also heard your concerns about some aspects of our process, and we understand the real anxieties Cambridge students are facing at the moment. We have been looking carefully at how to act on your feedback, and at the same time make sure schools, universities and employers continue to trust our qualifications."

"On Tuesday, August 18, we will let you know the actions we will take," it added.

Govt to approach British Council, Cambridge, British High Commission over CIE results
A day earlier the federal minister had said the government had decided to approach the British Council, Cambridge, and the British High Commission over the unfair grading in O' and A' level results meted out to Pakistani students.

The minister had said the Pakistani students appearing in the Cambridge exams had largely been graded unfairly, which had spoiled their hard work.

"We are approaching the British High Commission and British Council to address this serious miscarriage of justice and hopefully, a redressal mechanism would be found out," Mahmood had said while talking on Geo News programme ‘Capital Talk’.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/302850-ca...-to-review-grading-procedure-over-cie-results
 
Oxford University 'working to admit students this year or next'

Oxford University has said it is working to ensure everyone who has met their offer under the government's new grading system can be admitted either this year or next, on top of students who have already been awarded places.

However, with many more offer-holders now meeting their grades than in a normal year, the university said it faced "significant capacity constraints".

In a statement, the university said it was reviewing the capacity on its courses and within colleges and would confirm the position of offer-holders as soon as possible.

It added: "We will need to ensure we minimise the risk to the health of our staff and students caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, whilst also protecting the quality and the personalised nature of our teaching."
 
The Polish government has insisted schools will reopen next week for the first time since mid-March despite reaching a record high number of daily registered coronavirus infections late last week.

Poland was at first successful in containing the outbreak, but cases have started rising in recent weeks and on Friday authorities reported 903 new infections, the highest daily increase to date.

The rise in infections has caused concern among some parents contemplating sending their children back to class.

“Every child, teenager, goes out on the street or to the store and can get infected there. I don’t see the need to postpone the beginning of the (school) year,” Education Minister Dariusz Piontkowski told a news conference, reiterating the government’s position.

Children will not be required to wear face masks in classrooms, but individual principals may decide to impose this obligation in school halls and locker rooms. No temperature checks are to be introduced.

The ruling nationalist Law and Justice party (PiS) imposed strict restrictions in March to curb the spread of the virus and started easing them in May, which critics said was to encourage Poles to vote in the presidential election.

In July, prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki downplayed infection risks, saying Poles, including elderly citizens, should not be afraid to vote because the novel coronavirus had become a disease “like any other”.

The country of 38 million has reported 62,310 cases in all, and 1,960 deaths.
 
Covid-19: South Korea closes Seoul schools amid rise in cases

South Korea has ordered the closure of all schools and kindergartens in the greater Seoul area following a rise in coronavirus cases there.

Nearly 200 staff and students have been infected in the greater Seoul area over the past two weeks.

Remote learning will continue until 11 September, the Ministry of Education said.

Health authorities have warned that the country is on the brink of a nationwide outbreak.

All students in the greater Seoul area, home to over 25 million people, will now take classes online with the exception of those in their final year of high school who are due to take university entrance examinations in December.

Schools with fewer than 60 students and special education schools are allowed to choose whether to follow the ministry's guidelines, the Korea Times said.

Most of South Korea's schools reopened in stages between 20 May and 1 June after cases in the country appeared to fall.

South Korea has reported 310 deaths and 17,945 cases since the pandemic began, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

The country had been viewed as one of the world's coronavirus success stories for its management of the disease - however in recent weeks infections in the country, particularly the greater Seoul area, have increased.

On Tuesday, 280 new Covid-19 cases were reported - the 12th day of triple digit increases in a country used to case numbers below 30.

Many of the new infection clusters are linked to a number of right-wing Protestant churches whose members took part in a mass rally in Seoul just over a week ago.

Authorities in Seoul have ordered masks to be worn in indoor and outdoor public places for the first time. Churches, nightclubs and karaoke bars have also closed.

The government has warned that if cases continue to rise, tougher social distancing rules could be enforced. It could mean that many businesses across the country would have to close for the first time during the pandemic.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-53901707
 
Canada to give provinces, territories up to C$2 billion for school restart

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada will give up to C$2 billion ($1.5 billion) in additional funding to provinces and territories to help reopen schools safely as students return to classrooms amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday.

“Students and staff are anxious about what the school year may hold. As a dad and as a former teacher, I get that,” Trudeau said at a public school in Toronto where he announced the federal funding.

“We’ve made this funding flexible so provinces and ultimately schools can use it for what they need most from hand sanitizer to remote learning,” he added.

Schools across much of the country have been closed since mid-March, with most students moved to online learning until schools paused for their traditional summer break.

The Canadian school year typically starts in early September, but many districts have said they will either delay or stagger the return this year as they get plans in place to try to limit the spread of the virus among children.

Tensions between teachers, unions, parents, and provincial governments have been mounting ahead of the fall term, with many worried current restart plans do not go far enough to protect students from the coronavirus.

Many want class sizes capped to ensure physical distancing, while critics say some school districts lack the necessary resources, staff and ventilation systems needed to ensure a safe return to school.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...o-c2-billion-for-school-restart-idUSKBN25M2DJ
 
More than two million Indian students will sit for admissions tests to medical and engineering schools next week, the government said on Wednesday, despite growing concerns that the move could fuel a jump in coronavirus infections.

Many students, parents and opposition leaders have opposed the government's move to hold the tests in the middle of a pandemic.

Many students have to travel long distances and there is a risk of infections, said the All India Students' Union, a group that represents university students. It urged students to wear black armbands and join online protests to put pressure on the government to postpone the tests until infection rates fall.

Nearly 5,000 students took part in a virtual hunger strike at their homes in protest on Tuesday.

Students on social media have expressed concerns over health risks and availability of transport to the centres as public transport still remains restricted.

Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi said students concerns due to COVID-19 crisis, lack of transport and flooding in Assam and Bihar states are genuine.

"GOI [Government of India] must listen to all stakeholders and find an acceptable solution," he tweeted.

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg also waded in on the dispute, urging a postponement.

"It's deeply unfair that students of India are asked to sit national exams during the COVID-19 pandemic and while millions have also been impacted by the extreme floods," Thunberg said on Twitter on Tuesday.

'In the interest of students'
But the government has released exam protocols, including social distancing and fever checks.

The National Testing Agency (NTA), which will organise the JEE and NEET exams, said the tests are being done in the "interest of students and the country".

On Monday, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea for postponement, saying the delay would result in an unacceptable loss of the academic year.

India reported more than 75,000 infections, maintaining the world's highest single-day caseload since August 7, a Reuters tally showed. With 3.2 million cases, it ranks third after the United States and Brazil, though its 59,449 deaths are far fewer.

Now the government is pushing for a return to normalcy to lessen the economic pain, after having imposed a strict early lockdown of India's 1.3 billion people in March.

"We are very mindful of the safety of our students, we will take full precautions," Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal told state radio, adding that the tests had to be held to ensure students did not lose a year.

Already twice postponed this year, the tests will be spread over several days and will be held at more centres than usual, to ensure there is no crowding.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...-entrance-exams-covid-19-200827112752339.html
 
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday reiterated the government’s decision to reopen all educational institutions from Sept 15 and directed the provinces to finalise necessary arrangements in this regard.

Presiding over a meeting of the National Coordination Committee (NCC) on Covid-19, the prime minister asked the people to observe precautionary measures during Muharram.

The meeting also decided to review health protocols for domestic flight operations.

The meeting was told that the number of positive Covid-19 cases had significantly declined in the country.

“Finalisation of recommendations in consultation with provincial governments and administrations of educational institutions, ahead of a Sept 7 meeting that would take decision about reopening of schools from Sept 15,” the prime minister directed in the meeting.

Health protocols for domestic flight operation to be reviewed

The meeting discussed the roadmap on resumption of academic activities in view of the improving situation in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, and the precautionary measures needed to be taken at educational institutions.

Read: Allowing all schools in Pakistan to reopen simultaneously breaches the bounds of prudence

The meeting was attended by federal ministers Asad Umar, Shafqat Mehmood, Ghulam Sawar Khan, Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, Mohammad Hammad Azhar and Syed Fakhar Imam and advisers, including Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Abdul Razak Dawood, Special Assistants Dr Sania Nishtar, Dr Faisal Sultan, retired Lt-Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa, Dr Moeed Yousaf, the NDMA chairman and other senior officials.

Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Farooq Haider Khan and the provincial chief ministers also attended the meeting through video link.

The meeting deliberated at length on measures needed to be adopted during Muharram, restoration of academic activities in educational institutions, testing, tracking and the quarantine strategy.

The steps required for opening up of the tourism sector, policy of testing, micro smart lockdown and the aviation sector also came under discussion. An official press release issued by the Prime Minister Office (PMO) said the meeting also reviewed health protocols being adopted for domestic flights.

Minister for Planning Asad Umar gave a detailed briefing on the overall situation related to the coronavirus pandemic and presented a comparative analysis of the situation in Pakistan in relation to countries of the region.

The meeting was informed that the government’s response towards the pandemic was recognised internationally and significant improvement in the situation was witnessed owing to blessings of Allah Almighty and the strategy adopted, contrary to the situation in neighbouring countries.

The meeting was also given a briefing on the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) put in place during Muharram processions and Majalis.

The prime minister lauded the contribution of all medical professionals in the fight against Covid-19, the role of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), law enforcement agencies, provincial governments and other departments.

He said effective coordination and comprehensive strategy helped the country succeed against the pandemic.

The prime minister cautioned that the threat of the virus was not over and called upon the public to continue compliance of SOPs.

For Muharram, the prime minister stressed the need to adopt precautionary measures, including wearing of face masks.

He thanked religious scholars from all sects for their understanding of the seriousness of the situation and their role in creating awareness amongst the people.

The prime minister said he had assured the Sindh chief minister of full support of the federal government in mitigating the sufferings of the people of the province, particularly Karachi, in the wake of heavy rains and inundation of large areas of the city. He said he would be visiting Karachi soon and would personally oversee the progress on relief measures.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1576942/educational-institutions-will-reopen-on-sept-15-reiterates-pm
 
Universities could become the "care homes of the second wave of COVID-19", a higher education union has warned.

In an interview with Sky News, The University and College Union (UCU) says the government and universities are risking public health by pushing on with plans to fully reopen campuses in a few weeks' time.

The start of a new university year is "the biggest migration of people on an annual basis in the UK," Jo Grady, UCU general secretary, says.

"That's a million students, moving across country, cycling in and out of lockdown zones, of bubbles, of homes, into new cities, where we are not track and tracking those students, we are not testing those students," she said.

"We are seriously concerned that if the government and universities do not step in and discourage this... we could see universities becoming the care homes of the second wave of COVID-19."

The UCU wants, at the very least, for the government to enforce mandatory COVID-19 testing of students on arrival.

But some staff who work in universities believe that student numbers should be restricted altogether.

"It's not worth the risks of coming in for face-to-face teaching," university research fellow Eric Lybeck told Sky News.

"There are some exceptions I can see where lab facilities are needed, or disadvantaged students might not have access to the internet or certain health concerns where perhaps some access to university facilities could be provided.

"But wherever young people can do their seminars, small group teaching, lectures online it just seems that that is the right thing to do until the government gets a handle on the pandemic."

Following the changes to the A-level results, many universities reported having to accept more students than they had initially accounted for, complicating existing social distancing plans.

The UCU says the government should financially back institutions that "do the right thing by public health" and move services online, so that they avoid loss of income through missed tuition and accommodation fees.

It has been a torrid summer for this year's cohort of freshers, who have had exams cancelled, grades remarked and university places awarded and taken away.

James Appiah, 18, who is set to start at the University of Cambridge next month, said restrictions on joining his classmates would "ruin the expectation I have of going to Cambridge".

He added: "I expect to see my lecturers face-to-face, go and have a good time with my friends, to network with people.

"Online learning is not exactly a big loss, I believe it'll only be for the first year, as long as there is not a second wave of the coronavirus, but [if I stayed at home] I'd be very upset about it."

The Department for Education says that "we are confident that universities are well-prepared for the return of students."

"The safety and well-being of university staff and students is always our priority," it adds.

"We are keeping our guidance under constant review, and are currently updating our advice... including on face coverings."

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavi...to-make-uks-biggest-annual-migration-12059250
 
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has written an open letter to parents warning that if their child does not return to school next month, "they stand to lose far more than just a few months of learning".

"It could well put a huge dent in their future life chances," Mr Williamson said in his letter to parents.

He said the risk to children was "extremely low", with schools going to "huge lengths", including keeping students in year group "bubbles" to reduce mixing and requiring face coverings in areas with local lockdowns.

Prof Adam Finn, an expert in the transmission of viruses among children, told BBC Radio 4's Broadcasting House that these measures would help to reduce the risk, but the UK also needed rapid testing and to keep the rate of infection in the community low.

"It's a two-way business. To get infection, children have to pick it up in the community or from each other," he said.
 
France closes schools due to COVID-19 as country records Europe's highest daily infection rate

Twenty-two schools have been shut down in France and the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion due to coronavirus as cases soar in the country.

More than 12 million pupils returned to classrooms in France on Tuesday but some parents and teachers' unions have expressed concern over the reopening of schools as the spread of COVID-19 accelerates.

There have been more than 7,000 new infections in France over a 24-hour period for the second time in two days following the summer holidays - the highest daily rate in Europe.

This is close to the country's record of 7,578 set on 31 March.

It is well above the several hundred cases a day reported in May and June, when France was emerging from lockdown and testing fewer people.

The number of people in intensive care with coronavirus is also edging up, but it is well below the crisis levels of March and April.

More than 30,600 people with the virus have died in France, which has one of the highest fatality totals in Europe after Britain and Italy.

French education minister Jean-Michel Blanquer confirmed the school closures, telling Europe 1 radio: "In mainland France there are currently 12 schools closed out of a total of over 60,000, which is a small figure.

"Adding 10 schools in La Reunion (island), that makes it 22."

Defending the decision to send students back to school across the country, Mr Blanquer told France's Journal du Dimanche newspaper: "Not everything should be destroyed by the health situation.

"We must be vigilant, but not forget the educational and social imperatives, nor deviate from our two objectives: improving the educational level of each child and reducing inequalities."

Government guidelines say students aged 11 and older are required to wear masks in French schools but a group of medical professionals argued it should also apply to children aged six and above.

Laure Gevaert, whose daughter studies in Saint-Leu-d'Esserent, north of Paris, backed children returning to class, saying: "I prefer her to be going to school.

"It's not easy home-schooling, and I have to work too."

But she also said the threat of a second wave was alarming.

"If there are cases at the school, that will worry me. I won't send her in," she added.

Authorities are also encouraging people to return to work, as the French government unveiled a €100bn (£88bn) recovery plan aimed at creating jobs and saving struggling businesses.

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavi...europes-highest-daily-infection-rate-12063287
 
The National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) said on Thursday that 22 educational institutions across the country were closed down during the last 48 hours for failing to comply with standard operating procedures (SOPs) for curbing the spread of Covid-19.

"During last 48 hours, 22 educational institutions across Pakistan have been closed due to non compliance of health SOPs/protocols and disease prevalence."

According to the statement, 16 of these educational institutions were in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, one in Islamabad and five in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

IBA Karachi suspends academic activities
Meanwhile, the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Karachi suspended academic activities at both its campuses for two days, it emerged on Thursday.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER AD

Speaking to Dawn.com, IBA Head of Marketing and Communications Haris Tohid refuted media reports claiming the varsity had shut down campuses after two students had tested positive for the virus. "Campuses have not been shut down, only academic activity has been suspended."

When asked about the number of Covid-19 cases reported at the varsity, the official declined to comment. "Right now, we only suspect a certain number of cases. Giving any type of number at this point would be irresponsible.

"If the actual number is higher than the number we give, we will be misleading the public. But if the actual number is lower, then we will be creating panic."

He added that the varsity had been conducting Covid-19 tests in collaboration with the District Health Office since September 14.

He said that the administration was currently in the process of deciding the way forward, which would include increasing testing facilities and strengthening SOPs to curb the spread of the virus to ensure to well-being of students and staff.

"A press release in this regard will be issued shortly," he added.

3 colleges closed in Hyderabad division
Three colleges were closed down in Hyderabad division on Thursday after several Covid-19 cases were reported among teaching and non-teaching staff.

Eight positive cases were confirmed at two colleges in Matiari district among teaching and non-teaching staff, according to district health officer Dr Yar Mohammad. The cases were reported at the Government Girls' Degree College Matiari and the Government College Maula Saeedabad.

"Both colleges have been closed down by the district administration," Matiari Deputy Commissioner Ghulam Hyder Chandio said. He stated that the colleges would be disinfected, adding that the infected employees had been advised to isolate at home.

Meanwhile, Jamshoro Deputy Commissioner Farid Mustafa directed on Thursday to seal Government Degree Boys' College Bhan Saeedabad after 18 virus cases were reported among college staff.

He added that six more cases were reported among staff working at Army Public School Sehwan and five more cases among staff working at Government Girls' High School Sehwan.

He said that the Government Degree Boys' College Bhan Saeedabad had been sealed immediately while the remaining two schools were being disinfected by health workers. He said that Covid-19 tests were being carried out on students in Kotri's schools and colleges, adding that the results were awaited.

Medical college sealed in capital
Earlier in the week, a major medical college in the federal capital was sealed after 16 Covid-19 cases were reported among students and employees.

The Islamabad district health office in a letter had stated: “It has been observed with great concern that numerous cases of Covid-19 have been reported from Riphah Medical College, Islamabad, since September 9.

“Till date more than 16 cases have been reported. This trend is very alarming as this institute is becoming a super spreader and a hotspot for Covid-19. It is advised to immediately close down the campus and hostel premises and conduct thorough disinfection activities."

Meanwhile, another three people tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday out of 5,000 samples taken from public and private educational institutions in the capital so far.

Two employees of the city’s largest women’s college were among those diagnosed with the disease. Those who tested positive were told to isolate for two weeks.

Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) Spokesperson Sajid Shah said that residents should not panic, as incorrect information was circulating on social media. He said people should rely on the official website for information.

In response to two employees of Islamabad’s largest women’s college contracting Covid-19, an official from the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) said: “We will take extra precautions but [will] go ahead with opening educational institutions as planned. These are just two cases in hundreds of institutions.”

Before schools in the capital opened on Tuesday, three teachers — two at public schools in G-6 and G-7 and one at a private school in H-8 — had tested positive for Covid-19. The three institutions were disinfected before opening their doors to students on Tuesday.

Schools reopen in Pakistan
Educational institutions in the country reopened on Monday after a six month hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. During the first phase, grades nine and ten, and colleges and universities are welcoming students. Secondary and primary classes will resume later this month.

A day before educational institutions reopened, Prime Minister Imran Khan said that it was "our priority and collective responsibility to ensure that every child can go to school safely to learn".

"We have worked to ensure that school operations are aligned with public health safety rules on Covid-19," he said in a tweet.

According to instructions issued by the NCOC, parents have been advised to ensure their children follow SOPs, which includes wearing face masks.

“Don’t send them to school with symptoms of cough and fever. Get them tested in case they exhibit severe Covid-19 symptoms and inform the educational institution if report comes back positive.

"Ensure social distancing among children and suggest them to use hand sanitisers. Moreover, transporters should also maintain social distancing in vehicles when taking them to schools,” the NCOC advised.
 
Manchester Metropolitan University students forced into lockdown

More than 1,500 Manchester university students have been forced to self-isolate "with immediate effect".

Up to 1,700 students will isolate for 14 days after 99 at Manchester Metropolitan University tested positive for Covid-19.

Students across Manchester have been urged to attend virtual freshers' events and avoid big parties.

Most parts of Greater Manchester are subject to stricter restrictions , after a spike in coronavirus cases.

Students in accommodation blocks at Birley campus and at Cambridge Halls are affected.

Manchester City Council said it was implementing a "local lockdown" to stop the transmission of the virus among students and prevent it getting into the wider community,

"The evidence so far suggests that transmission has been within the student community," it said.

A university spokesman said: "The safety of our staff and students, and our local community, is our top priority and we are fully supportive of the decision.

"Services such as wellbeing support and the library will remain available to our students online.

"Our security teams will increase patrols to support the lockdown and we will take disciplinary action against any students found to have breached requirements."

David Regan, public health director for Manchester, said: "An important part of Manchester's Local Response and Prevention Plan for coronavirus is to keep a close eye on the data and act swiftly and decisively where an outbreak is identified in order to contain the virus. That's what we've done here."

University and College Union general secretary Jo Grady said it was a "wholly predictable - and predicted catastrophe."

"There is no point encouraging students to come to university to self-isolate for a fortnight," she said.

https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/uk-england-manchester-54289648?__twitter_impression=true
 
Exams go ahead in England next year with later start

Next summer's A-levels and GCSEs in England are going ahead - but with slimmed-down content and a start date pushed back by about three weeks.

Most exams will now start from 7 June, rather than mid-May, in an attempt to make up for lost teaching time.

School leaders have called for a "Plan B" in case the pandemic makes it impossible to take exams.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said back-up plans will be produced later this term for "all scenarios".

"Exams are the fairest way of judging a student's performance so they will go ahead, underpinned by contingency measures developed in partnership with the sector," said Mr Williamson.

"Students have experienced considerable disruption and it's right we give them, and their teachers, the certainty that exams will go ahead and more time to prepare," he said.

Results days

The modifications to exams will be those previously put forward by the Ofqual qualifications watchdog - which were rejected by head teachers' leaders as "only tinkering at the edges".

These included removing field trips from geography and reducing the areas needed to be covered for English literature.

The announcement from Mr Williamson also says that results days for A-levels and GCSEs will be on the same week - 24 August for A-levels and 27 August for GCSEs.

The universities minister has already said that universities could change their autumn term dates if they needed to accommodate school exams being pushed back.

After this summer's problems with providing replacement grades for cancelled exams, England's education secretary has repeatedly called for the 2021 exams to go ahead as written papers.

Lost time

But students will already have lost months of teaching time - and many are still facing further disruption, with almost one in five secondary schools sending home pupils because of Covid cases.

School leaders and teachers' unions have warned about the lack of time to cover exam courses - and challenged whether exams can be fair when students in different parts of the country will have faced different levels of disruption to school.

In the face of the unpredictability of what lies ahead with the pandemic, school leaders have pressed for clarity over what information they might be expected to gather if exams are subsequently cancelled and grades again have to be estimated.

The statement from the education secretary includes a promise of contingency plans - but with no details so far of what that might involve.

The announcement for England is a less radical approach than Scotland, where last week exams for National 5 qualifications were cancelled, replacing them with teacher assessments and course work, while still going ahead with Higher exams.

Scotland's education secretary had said it was "too big a risk" to plan a full set of exams when there was so much uncertainty about the impact of the pandemic in the months ahead.

In Northern Ireland, exams are going ahead but with reductions in course content and a delayed starting date - plus the promise of a contingency plan.

https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/education-54508851?__twitter_impression=true
 
A meeting of federal and provincial education ministers decided on Monday to hold board exams across the country after June 20.

The Inter-Provincial Education Ministers Conference (IPEMC) also decided that summer vacations would be shortened this year, according to a statement released by the federal Ministry of Education after the meeting.

Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood presided over the meeting which was also attended by all provincial education ministers as well as different secretaries.

They "analysed in detail all options" for holding exams across the country and decided that board exams would be held in Pakistan after June 20. The exact dates for the exams would be announced by the provinces later, the meeting decided.

Mahmood urged all federal units to focus on ensuring the timely vaccination of teachers, examination and administrative staff, adding that those who did not have a certificate of vaccination would not be called for invigilation duties.

During the meeting, the National Education Framework was also shared with the provinces and approved "in principle".

The meeting also discussed the handing over of staff of Basic Education Community Schools (BESC) and National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) schools to provinces after June 30 with committee chairman Mahmood asking the provinces to issue a notification regarding the devolvement soon.

Last week, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) had allowed the staggered reopening of educational institutions in districts where the positivity rate is less than five per cent.

Educational institutions in all districts would be reopened in a staggered manner from June 7, the NCOC had said while all matric and intermediate exams would be held after June 20.

All professional and non-professional exams would take place on a case-to-case basis as recommended by the Ministry of Education, according to the forum.

Mahmood said authorities could write to the education ministry's secretary with details of exam centres, number of students and SOPs to be followed.

If all arrangements are satisfactory permission will be given promptly, he had tweeted.

DAWN
 
Covid rules that have seen hundreds of thousands of pupils miss out on learning due to self-isolation are being axed in England, it is confirmed.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said the system of sending "bubbles" of children home after a positive case would cease at the end of summer term.

The bubble system had been necessary to limit virus spread but was now causing disruption to pupils' lives, he said.

Teaching unions warned against easing rules as cases are still rising.

The changes to schools guidance will take effect at the same time as the country eases restrictions and moves to stage four. This is expected to be on 19 July - with confirmation of this due next Monday.

However, some schools break up a few days before that.

'Disruption'
The need for face masks, social distancing measures and staggered start and finish times in schools will be scrapped from September, Mr Williamson said.

The Covid testing regime for pupils will be transferred to the NHS track and trace system, Mr Williamson said.

Instead, secondary schools will be asked to offer pupils two Covid tests at the beginning of the autumn term, as a one-off event.

The changes were announced as the latest official statistics for England show the number of pupils out and self-isolating due to Covid hit a record high of 641,000 pupils.

Only 28,000 of these had a confirmed case of Covid-19.

Mr Williamson told the Commons: "Keeping children in consistent groups was essential to control the spread of the virus when our population was less vaccinated.

"We recognise that the system of bubbles and isolation is causing disruption to many children's education.

"That is why we'll be ending bubbles and transferring contact tracing to the NHS Test and Trace system for early years settings, schools and colleges."

Department for Education figures show that in the autumn term (2020), some 33 million days of school were missed by pupils observing Covid isolation rules.

Earlier, Health Secretary Sajid Javid announced that from 16 August under 18s would not have to isolate unless they themselves had tested positive for Covid.

This will prevent large numbers of youngsters having to stay at home because they have been in contact with someone who has the virus.

'Sacrifices'
Mr Williamson said: "I do not think it is acceptable that children should face greater restrictions over and above those of wider society, especially since they have given up so much to keep older generations safe during this pandemic."

He said: "Where there are outbreaks schools and colleges may be contacted by NHS Test and Trace and they will also work with local health teams as they currently do now.

"We're also setting out new rules that mean from the 16 August children will only need to isolate if they have tested positive for Covid-19."

BBC
 
Face masks are to be worn in classrooms in England's secondary schools to reduce the spread of the Omicron variant, the government has announced.

The temporary reintroduction of face coverings aims to address concerns about schools remaining open for face-to-face learning this coming term.

Meanwhile, six school staff unions have issued a demand for urgent action to limit the spread of the virus.

They warned national exams would be put at risk without further measures.

They also called for air-cleaning units, financial support for absence cover, help with on-site testing and a relaxation of the Ofsted inspection regime.
 
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