Winter vacations announced for schools

LAHORE: Punjab has announced winter vacations in public and private school across the province, ARY News reported on Monday.

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.

Earlier, the Punjab government has further relaxed smog restrictions and allowed construction work in four districts, including Lahore.

The construction work was halted in the province after smog peaked about 10 days ago, causing difficulties for the people.