Rawalpindi: Defying clear orders of Punjab Education Board, several schools in Rawalpindi have reopened triggering concern among parents.
Severe cold and dense fog in the city are disrupting daily life, while some schools run by the Punjab Board have been reopened despite the intensifying cold.
Private schools on Peshawar Road and Choor Chowk have reopened for small children and for metric students on the pretence of finishing the syllabus,
In the twin cities and its outskirts severe cold continues where the minimum temperature has been recorded at 4 degrees Celsius and dense fog is observed in the morning reducing the visibility to zero.
According to parents, sending children to school in such a harsh weather could be harmful to their health and increase the serious risk of illness.
They have urged the government and relevant authorities to take immediate notice of the situation and make an appropriate decision regarding school timings or possible closures.
The school education department has imposed a complete ban on private schools opening during winter vacations. Schools found involved in this activity will face strict disciplinary action
The Punjab government has announced winter vacations from Dec 22 till Jan 10. Classes will resume on January 11.
Extension in holidays
Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat has said all educational institutions across the province will reopen on January 12 after winter vacations.
Talking to media, he rejected social media reports about a possible extension in holidays. He termed these claims false and misleading.
The minister clarified there is no proposal to extend winter vacations. Schools, colleges, and other institutions will resume classes as scheduled.
He advised parents, students, and teachers to ignore rumours. He stressed they should follow only official notifications from the Punjab Education Department.
Pakistani newspapers often report similar clarifications during winter, as false alerts regularly circulate online during fog and cold spells.
Winter vacations for Islamabad schools over
Winter vacations for Islamabad schools run under the Federal Directorate of Education is also over as the schools reopened on Monday.
The schools were closed for winter vacations from December 26, 2025.
According to the notification issued by the FDE, winter vacations in all education institutions under the FDE begun from December 26 till January 3, 2026.
Winter vacations in Balochistan
The Balochistan education department issued the schedule of winter vacations. All the public and private schools in the province remained closed from 16 December for two and a half months.
Winter vacations in KP
In the summer zones, the institutions are closed between 1 January and 15 January. However, a much longer break will be witnessed in the winter season.
These schools will remain closed between 22 December 2025 and 28 February 2026. This will ensure that students and the staff are not exposed to the extreme seasonal cold.
