The Punjab government has officially shifted the summer vacation schedule for all public and private schools, pushing the start date forward as temperatures across the province continue to climb.
Students will now begin their break on May 22, rather than the originally scheduled June 1. Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat announced the change late Tuesday, citing the intense heatwave currently gripping the region. The decision aims to protect children from the risks of heatstroke and dehydration as mercury levels in Lahore and southern Punjab routinely cross the 40-degree Celsius mark. The revised academic calendar mandates that schools remain closed until August 14.
“We are monitoring the weather closely,” the minister said during a press briefing in Lahore. “The health of our students comes before the syllabus.” While the announcement brings relief to parents concerned about the extreme conditions, the shift leaves school administrations with a condensed window to finish final examinations. Many private institutions had already scheduled their end-of-year assessments for late May.
Principals are now scrambling to reschedule or accelerate testing protocols to ensure grades are finalized before the new May 22 cutoff. Teachers’ unions have largely welcomed the move, noting that classroom environments in many government buildings lack adequate cooling systems, making it difficult for students to focus even before the peak of the afternoon heat.
The education department has clarified that no exceptions will be granted for remedial classes or summer camps after the specified date. Officials warned that any institution found operating after May 22 will face immediate administrative action.
With the monsoon season expected to follow this heatwave, the province now faces the challenge of managing a significantly shorter window for the upcoming academic session. For now, however, the focus remains on clearing classrooms before the worst of the summer heat sets in.
