No extension in winter vacations in Punjab: Minister

News Desk

Lahore/Karachi: While rumours of extended winter vacations gathered pace amid intensifying cold across Punjab, the provincial government on Monday firmly dismissed any change to the academic calendar, even as a separate education dispute escalated in Sindh with private schools announcing a province-wide shutdown.

Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat clarified that all public and private schools and colleges in the province will reopen on January 12 as scheduled. He rejected speculation circulating on social media about an extension in winter vacations, terming such claims “baseless and misleading”.

The minister urged parents, students and school administrations to rely only on official notifications, stressing that no decision has been taken to alter the existing schedule. He also directed educational institutions to complete preparations for the resumption of academic activities on time.

Read More: https://thepenpk.com/winter-vacations-ignite-grassroots-cricket-in-south-punjab/

The clarification comes as Punjab continues to experience severe winter conditions. The Met Office has forecast very cold and dry weather across most districts, with extremely low temperatures expected in Murree, Galiyat and nearby hilly areas.

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Cloudy conditions, along with light rain or snowfall, are likely during evening and night hours in these regions.

In contrast to Punjab’s stance on maintaining normal academic operations, the education sector in Sindh is heading towards disruption. The Grand Alliance of Private School Associations Sindh (GAPSAS) has announced a complete shutter-down strike for private schools and colleges on January 9.

Addressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, GAPSAS leaders said the strike is being called to protest inspections by the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) in connection with the verification of free admissions.

They said that following a Sindh High Court Sukkur Bench verdict on December 8, the ACE was assigned to verify lists submitted by regional directors, but had allegedly begun direct inspections of schools.

The alliance claimed such actions violate the Sindh Private Educational Institutions (Regulation and Control) Act 2013, arguing that only the Directorate of Private Institutions has the legal mandate to regulate schools.

They described the presence of armed personnel on campuses as inappropriate and said the inspections were creating fear and mental stress among students, staff and parents.

GAPSAS leaders also said parents were being repeatedly questioned despite already submitting complete data and undertakings.

They appealed to the Sindh chief minister and education minister to intervene and immediately halt direct entries by the anti-corruption department.

The alliance announced a series of protest activities, including district-level meetings involving parents and school administrations from January 6 to 8, the observance of a “Black Day” on January 8, and a complete shutdown of private schools and colleges across Sindh on January 9. They also confirmed plans to file a fresh petition in the Sindh High Court to challenge the ongoing verification process.