Universities and colleges reopened and school classes for the ninth and 10th grade restarted in the first phase of a three-stage plan announced by the government earlier this month.
School classes for younger pupils were set to resume by the end of September, Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood said.
A sharp decline in new COVID-19 infections since July has encouraged authorities to reopen educational institutions under strict guidelines for teachers and students, including the wearing of face masks.
The country has reported more than 300,000 COVID-19 infections and more than 6,000 related deaths.
More than 95 per cent of patients have recovered.
“It was a difficult decision but we have to take it sooner or later,” said Saeed Ghani, Education Minister in the worst-hit southern province of Sindh.
Student unions in the conflict-ridden provinces of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan welcomed the resumption of in-person learning, as many students had not been able to join online classes due to a lack of internet access.
Pakistan had ordered schools to close in February, following the lead of other countries in the region, after the first COVID-19 infections were reported.
The country has reported more than 300,000 COVID-19 infections and more than 6,000 related deaths.
More than 95 per cent of patients have recovered.
The ratio of new infections among those tested recently declined to 2 per cent, according to health authorities.
The minister said the government would order schools to close again if infections spread once more. (dpa
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