Board examinations will continue as per schedule across the country despite a surge in coronavirus cases, Federal Education Ministry announced Wednesday. The decision was taken during a meeting headed by the Acting Secretary for the Ministry of Federal Education Asif Haider, while provincial education secretaries attended the meeting virtually. The meeting jointly decided not to extend the vacations for educational institutions. Meanwhile, the meeting agreed upon conducting academic activities at schools under the strict implementation of COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs). The representatives from the provincial education departments were directed to make decisions regarding the resumption of schools according to the coronavirus positivity ratio in their respective provinces. Early in July, intermediate exams started in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad amid calls for a delay in the papers due to a short time for preparation. The PML-N had raised this issue in the National Assembly, demanding the government delay the inter exams as students did not get enough time to prepare during the coronavirus lockdown since schools were mostly closed. However, the federal government refused to postpone the papers, saying it is important to hold exams for the future of students and slammed the “cheap” exam politics of the Opposition lawmakers.