No plan to close primary schools or go online for now: State Minister

State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj has said that the government has no immediate plan to close primary schools or shift to online classes amid the ongoing measles outbreak and energy constraints, emphasising the continuation of in-person education as the current policy priority.

He made the remarks while responding to questions from journalists following an on-site inspection of infrastructure and academic activities at several primary schools in the capital on Monday.

The state minister said that no final decision has been taken regarding the closure of educational institutions, adding that the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education is actively working to ensure that academic activities continue in a normal and uninterrupted manner.

He said, "In the current situation, the ministry will not follow the path of online classes. We are in favour of continuing physical education programmes." He further noted that online-based instruction is not considered effective for primary-level learners, and therefore the ministry is prioritising classroom-based teaching.

Referring to the broader policy framework, he said the government is preparing to introduce several new and innovative initiatives in the education sector between June and July. He added that the inspection was conducted to assess field-level preparedness for these measures and to evaluate the current condition of school infrastructure and academic delivery.

He also stated that the government is placing emphasis on the renovation and development of physical infrastructure across primary schools to improve the overall learning environment.

Addressing concerns over public health, he said that precautionary measures have been adopted in response to the recent increase in measles infections in different parts of the country. However, he maintained that the situation has not yet reached a threshold that would necessitate the closure of schools.

"The issue of children's health and safety is of the highest priority for the government. If the situation deteriorates, further measures will be taken based on expert opinion," he said.

He added that alongside continuing regular academic activities, the ministry is also advancing work on curriculum development and ongoing education sector projects. He expressed the view that such field inspections would facilitate evidence-based policy decisions by ensuring that ground realities are accurately reflected at higher levels of government.