Islamabad: Students on Saturday staged a protest at Islamabad’s Faizabad Interchange against the government’s decision to hold in-person exams of classes 10 and 12 from June 23.
Students took to the streets soon after the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) said that examinations for classes 10 and 12 will be held between June 23 and July 29.
The protesting students urged the federal and provincial education ministers to reconsider their decision in light of the ongoing coronavirus situation.
“If classes were held online, then the examinations should also be conducted online,” the students argued.
The protest affected the flow of traffic, following which a minor clash took place between the police and the students.
The students pelted stones at the police after which the police used batons and tear gas to disperse them.
Earlier in the day, The NCOC, in its meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Asad Umar, expressed satisfaction over the current coronavirus situation in the country.
The forum said that the provinces can start preparation classes for classes 10 and 12 from May 31, but those should be conducted with coronavirus SOPs intact — on alternate days.
The NCOC, making vaccination mandatory for teachers and other staff of educational institutions, said the inoculation should be completed by June 10 in a bid to curb the spread of the disease during examinations.
The forum has opened walk-in vaccinations for teachers and other staff above 18 years of age, who can get themselves inoculated from the nearest medical facility.
“The forum expressed general satisfaction on the overall situation in the country. However, it cautioned regarding high disease prevalence in Sindh,” a post-meeting statement said.
