Winter vacation plans for schools in Punjab, Sindh and Islamabad

LAHORE: Due to the ongoing smog crisis, the Punjab government announced winter vacation period of 20 days for students.

However, the decision drew sharp criticism from the All Pakistan Private Schools Association, which is concerned about the impact of extended breaks on the academic calendar.

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The academic calendar for students has already been reduced from 120 days due to previous disruptions, mostly caused by unprecedented smog levels.

The President of the All Private School Association voiced concerns regarding the frequent school closure caused by heavy smog. The president stated that a more stable academic environment was needed.

Due to concerns being raised from several quarters, the provincial government is now mulling reducing the winter break in Punjab to just ten days.

Despite the implementation of several measures in Lahore and surrounding regions, the air quality index (AQI) continues to be classified as “unhealthy”. The average AQI in the city of 14.4 million was 172 on average.

The concentration of the PM2.5 particles in the air remains heavily in the air, well above the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommended guidelines.

Winter vacation in Islamabad

Meanwhile, in Islamabad, students are awaiting the announcement of winter vacation dates as temperatures begin to drop.    

The Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) is responsible for determining the winter holiday schedule for schools and colleges in the capital. It is expected that the FDE will announce winter holidays from December 21 till December 29.

Schools are expected to commence from December 2024 and classes to properly resume form January 1, 2025.

Last year, the FDE declared winter vacation from December 25 till December 31 for all educational institutes.  

Winter vacation in Sindh

Meanwhile, the Sindh Education and Literacy Department already finalised he winter holiday schedule for schools and colleges under their jurisdiction.

All government and private schools will be closed from December 23 till December 31. Classes will resume from January 1, 2025.

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The decision was made following a meeting of the Sindh School Education Department’s steering committee, with a formal notification expected to be issued soon.