Apparently succumbing to the growing calls for vacations in schools from all sections of the society amid sweltering heat, the Punjab government has announced that all the schools in the province will avail summer vacations after the end of the examinations, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Addressing a news conference at DGPR in Lahore on Friday, Punjab Education Minister Murad Raas said the provincial government is aware of the problems that children are facing due to the baking weather, adding that in case of an extraordinary situation, the government will act accordingly.
The new academic year will start on August 1 while the examinations in schools will be held from June 18 to June 30.
"Let them take exams and we will give them vacations. It is wrong to promote students without examinations for two consecutive years," Raas said. He added that the curriculum has been reduced further and the exams were only for the elective subjects.
The Punjab government has already changed the timings for all private and public schools from 7:00am to 11:30am due to the ongoing heatwave.
Students at schools in Sialkot and Islamabad had fainted due to the heat and were taken to a hospital for treatment, forcing the government to revise the schedule.
New schedule for classes in KP
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has also issued a new schedule for classes of both public and private schools in a bid to safeguard students from the scorching heat.
According to the notification, the classes will be held from 7 am to 10 am in the summer and winter zone of the province.
As per the schedule of the elementary and secondary education department, primary and middle classes will remain closed on Friday and Saturday (June 11, 12).
The notification said class 9, 10, 11 and 12 will be taught only those subjects in which they will appear for in the board examinations 2021.