Punjab has declared winter vacation for all public and private schools in the province. According to Punjab Secretary of Schools Khalid Nazir Wattoo, schools would be closed for 20 days from December 20, 2024, to January 10, 2025, during the winter break. The statement coincided with the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) order to provide pick-and-drop services for kids following winter break to combat the growing threat of smog. In his three-page written ruling on smog prevention petitions, LHC Justice Shahid Karim provided the instructions on Monday.
The court directed that kids use school-provided transport to get to school. The LHC bench threatened to seal any schools that did not follow these directives. It further stated that no school should publish written disclaimers that release them from liability for the transportation of its children. The written decision further said that several persons had been arrested for stubble burning and that the Punjab government has updated the court on the measures being taken to alleviate the smog problem.
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Families might take advantage of the longer break to organize vacations or spend time together. There will be no academic activities throughout the vacation, and schools will be fully shuttered. With this notification, staff and students can take a stress-free break and rejuvenate before returning to their academic schedules.
In the face of smog and changing weather, the Punjab School Education Department has implemented revised Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to guarantee student safety. These steps are meant to maintain learning even in the face of adversity and establish a balance between public health issues and academic demands.
Although the winter break will give students a vacation from the stress of the environmental problem and the demands of academic schedules, it also highlights the pressing need for long-term solutions to address pollution in one of the most populated provinces in the nation.
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