LAHORE: The Punjab School Education Department on Saturday directed all deputy commissioners and chief executive officers of district education authorities (DEAs) to allow private schools to open their campuses for management purposes.

All public and private schools had been closed by the government in the wake of coronavirus till May 31, and the closure period was later declared as summer vacation.

However, the All Pakistan Private Schools Federation had approached the Lahore High Court and filed a petition that they should be allowed to open with skeleton staff for management purposes.

The court had ordered the government to issue a notification regarding the same.

The school education department on Saturday issued a notification, stating: `The competent authority constituted a committee to deliberate upon the matter of easing the hardships of private schools for management purposes, which has recommended that school administration must follow the mechanism.

According to the mechanism, only two persons would be allowed in a school, including princi-pal/administrator and accountant for management purpose only; timings of admin offices of the school would be from 9am to 1pm; face masks would be mandatory for the people dealing with the parents/visitors; strict compliance with social distancing has to be ensured and gatherings/crowd would not be permitted; and circles at appropriate distance or similar appropriate means must be used to ensure social distancing.

It further stated that teachersandstaffcouldbe called for payment of salaries but class wise staff of one class per day; soap and hand sanitisers must be provided and no student should be allowed to visit the school for any purpose; washrooms and other areas should be disinfected with chlorine daily, and where possible, the school must utilise banking channels for collection of fee and payment of salaries.

The schools were directed to conduct this activity from April 20 to 25. Subsequently, the relevant education department will notify dates for May and June.

The district administration through the DEAs, district registering authorities, district health authorities and assistant commissioners concerned could monitor implementation on this mechanism by the schools.