Lock-in incident triggers tougher protocols

The Education Department has issued a strict new standard operating procedure (SOP) after taking serious notice of an incident in which a sixth-grade girl was locked inside a classroom after school hours at a girls' school in Rawalpindi district. Under the new SOP, each school must appoint a teacher as a focal person for each shift, who will inspect all classrooms, washrooms, labs, halls, and staff rooms after dismissal and then instruct the watchman to lock the school. The designated teacher will be held responsible if such an incident occurs again. A formal circular has been issued by the Ministry of Education and sent to heads of all District Education Authorities as well as district and tehsil education officers. The circular states that unattended presence within school premises poses a serious safety risk. To ensure safe evacuation and security of all students, heads of both public and private schools have been directed to strictly implement the instructions. At closing time, the head of the institution must ensure that all areas—including classrooms, washrooms, laboratories, libraries, playgrounds, and other sections—are thoroughly checked to confirm that no student remains on campus. A specific teacher or staff member will be assigned daily, on a rotational basis, to ensure that all students have left for their homes. The assigned teacher will not leave the school until it is confirmed that all students have departed safely. The head of the institution will be personally responsible for implementing these instructions. Meanwhile, the incident at a government middle school in Gujar Khan, where a sixth-grade student was locked in a classroom after school hours, has been termed a "technical error." The matter has been closed after minor disciplinary action in the form of a reprimand and a warning was taken against the concerned watchman, Wajid. New criteria for admissions On the other hand, the Rawalpindi Education Department has introduced a new age criterion for admissions in government schools, raising concerns about a further decline in enrolment that has already been delayed by a month. While private schools began new admissions from January 15, government schools started the process from April 1 after a record delay, and admissions are progressing slowly. Now, minimum age limits have been fixed for each class. According to the new criteria, ECCE requires a minimum age of 3 years; pre-primary (Prep) 4 years; Grade 1, 5 years; Grade 2, 6 years; Grade 3, 7 years; Grade 4, 8 years; Grade 5, 9 years; Grade 6, 10 years; Grade 7, 11 years; Grade 8, 12 years; Grade 9, 13 years; and Grade 10, 14 years or above. At the time of registration for Grade 9 board exams, the student must not be under 13 years of age. Therefore, parents are advised to keep this schedule in mind at the time of admission.