Punjab govt announces winter holidays for schools

LAHORE: The Punjab government has officially announced winter holidays for schools and other educational institutions across the province.

According to a notification issued by the Provincial Education Department, the winter break will start on December 23, 2025 and continue until January 11, 2026.

According to the notification, all schools will reopen on January 13, 2026, marking the beginning of the new academic session.

The education department clarified that this schedule will apply uniformly to both government and private schools, and no institution will be allowed to alter the schedule on its own.

The decision has been taken considering the intensity of cold weather and student health to ensure children remain safe from illnesses and return well-prepared for the next academic session after the break.

Earlier, the Punjab government had adjusted school timings due to rising smog levels. The notification had stated that no educational institution could open before 8:45 am.

SPOs for schools

Meanwhile, the Punjab government has issued SOPs to make security arrangements in schools across the province more effective.

According to instructions issued by the School Education Department, all schools must have boundary walls at least 8 feet high and razor wire must be installed on these walls.

The SOPs also made it mandatory for schools to install CCTV cameras with UPS backup, deploy trained security guards, and provide walk-through gates and metal detectors.

It said that a visitor register must be maintained at each school gate, and emergency police contact numbers should be prominently displayed.

The Punjab Education Department has warned that school heads who fail to implement these SOPs will face action.