Punjab schools' winter vacations announced

The Punjab government has announced winter vacations for all educational institutions across the province, stated a notification issued on Thursday.

The notification, issued by the provincial Education Department, stated that winter holidays will begin on December 22, 2025, and continue until January 10, 2026.

All schools are set to reopen on January 10, 2026, marking the restart of the academic term, the notification added.

Earlier, on Wednesday, Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat had announced date of matriculation and intermediate examinations, saying will now be held after Eid ul Fitr across the province.

Originally, matric exams were scheduled to take place on March 3, while the schedule for intermediate examinations was still under consideration.

However, in a social media post, the minister announced that both matric and intermediate exams will now be conducted following the Eid holidays.

In October this year, the Punjab School Education Department revised the school timings in response to the worsening smog in the province, with daily sessions set to kick off from 8:45am.

As per the revised schedule, schools to conduct classes from 8:45am to 1:30pm from Monday to Thursday, while on Friday, schools will close at 12:30pm.