Punjab reduces school hours due to sweltering heat

The Punjab government on Friday reduced school timings for all the public and private schools in the province in the wake of sweltering hot weather.

As the country faces a risk of heatwave after a significant rise in temperatures, the Punjab education department notified new timings for the schools with limited hours.

As per the notification, the schools will open from 7am to 11:30 from Monday to Thursday, and 7am to 10:30am on Fridays.

Moreover, the government also announced annual summer vacations for public and private schools. It stated that the vacations will be observed from June 1 to August 14 in schools across the province.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department had forecast heatwave conditions over most parts of the country, especially over Punjab and Sindh from May 21 due to the presence of high pressure in the upper atmosphere.

It added that they will likely convert to severe heatwave conditions from May 23 to 27.

Day temperatures are likely to remain 4 to 6°C above normal in Punjab from May 21 to 23 and from 6 to 8°C from May 23 to 27.

Punjab schools summer vacations in limbo

Soon after the official notification, the All Pakistan Private Schools Management Association (APPSMA) rejected the decision to begin the summer vacations in the educational institutes from June 1.

The APPSMA demanded permission to allow the schools to function between 7am to 10am from June 1 to June 15.

“Closing schools in the name of extreme heat or cold has become routine,” the association said. It stated that the same was the case with suspension of academic activities due to “emergency or security” reasons.

It demanded summer camps for classes IX and X be allowed for limited hours and sought revision of the notification for the vacation period.