Punjab says schools stay open amid smog closure rumours
The provincial government has not decided on smog-related holidays or early winter vacations, and parents were urged to ignore fake news.
Punjab's schools are operating on their regular timetable and will continue to do so, Provincial Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat said on Wednesday in a statement on social media, Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat said.
Hayat strongly denied rumours circulating online that claimed the government had decided to close schools or bring forward winter holidays because of hazardous air pollution.
In his statement, he said that all schools across the province are open and that educational activities will carry on as usual.
He appealed to the public and parents not to pay attention to fake news, saying schools would remain open according to schedule.
The government has not made any decision to grant extra holidays or start winter vacations early because of smog, the minister said.
The report said parents and students are worried because air pollution has reached dangerous levels in Lahore and other cities in Punjab, with the air quality index exceeding 400 in some areas.
School timings had already been changed to reduce the effects of smog, the report said.
Single-shift government schools run from 8:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, and until 12:30 p.m. on Fridays.
Winter vacations in Punjab are likely to begin on Dec, the report said.
However, the government has not yet issued a notification with final dates.
Lahore regularly ranks among the most polluted cities in the world during the winter months, when cold weather and low winds trap smoke and vehicle emissions close to the ground.
Schools in Punjab have been closed or had their timings changed during earlier smog episodes, which has made the timing of holidays a recurring concern for families.
