Winter vacation schedule released by schools

PESHAWAR: The Education Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has announced winter vacations for schools across the province, ARY News reported.

According to reports, schools in the plain areas will remain closed from December 22 to December 31, while in the hilly regions, they will be closed from December 22 until February 28.

In Balochistan, winter vacations have commenced, with schools, colleges, and universities in cold regions, including Quetta, remaining closed until February 28. For warmer areas of the province, a 10-day winter vacation has been scheduled from January 1 to January 10.

The decision has been made to ensure the safety and comfort of students and staff during the winter season.

Earlier, the Punjab government had announced winter vacations in public and private school across the province,.

As per details, Secretary of Schools Punjab Khalid Nazir Wattoo stated that schools will remain closed during winter holidays for 20 days from December 20, 2024 till January 10, 2025.

The announcement came at the time when Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered to provide pick-and-drop services to schoolchildren after winter break, in a move to counter the increasing smog threat.

The directions were given by LHC Justice Shahid Karim in a three-page written order he issued on Monday on petitions related to smog prevention.

The court ordered that children must commute to schools using transport provided by the school administration.

Schools failing to comply with these orders will face sealing, the LHC bench warned. It also remarked that no school should issue written disclaimers absolving themselves of responsibility for students’ transportation.

The written order further stated that the Punjab government informed the court about steps being taken to address the smog issue and a number of people have been arrested for stubble burning.

The department was also told to maintain a comprehensive database of public and private buses.