School hours were further reduced in Islamabad and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) by the Ministry of Education on Sunday amid the sweltering heatwave affecting the country.
Citing extreme heat, Special Secretary of Education Mohiuddin Wani announced revised school hours from 7:30 am to 11:30 am, effective from Monday, with no assembly and sports classes.
Similarly, the K-P Department of Education announced that school would start at 7 am instead of the earlier announced 8 am. Recess for primary students will be at 11 am, with middle, high, and higher secondary schools having recess at 12 pm.
In a notification last week, Education Minister Sikandar Hayat emphasized that all school classrooms must be equipped with functional fans and access to cold water. Additionally, all outdoor sports and activities have been banned to ensure the safety of students during the heatwave.
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He also highlighted the urgent need for climate action, stating that everyone has a "vital role to play in mitigating the effects of climate change."
"The situation is terrible at government schools due to load shedding and absence of basic facilities. However, the government took the right decision of revising the school timings in May and early start of summer vacations from June 1” said Rana Liaquat Ali, Secretary General of Punjab Teachers Union.
Clarifying the dates of summer vacations, the department further announced “Primary schools will observe summer vacations from June 1 to August 31, while middle, high, and higher secondary schools will break from June 15th to August 31. Moreover, mountainous regions will have their holidays from July 1 to August 31".
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