Lahore: The Punjab government has announced new working hours for government and private educational institutions across the province. According to Provincial Minister for School Education Rana Sikandar Hayat, classes will start at 8:45 am from this academic season and end at 1:30 pm.
The minister said that this change was made in view of the cold weather and increasing smog so that students are less affected by the external environment during times of low light and polluted air.
It has been pointed out that the air quality in many major cities of the province, including Lahore, has become dangerously harmful, which is likely to affect the health, attendance and academic performance of children.
The government has requested parents, teachers and students to prepare daily according to this new schedule. Educational institutions have been instructed to arrange admissions, tuition, staff meetings and other activities as per the new schedule.
The government has also clarified that a relevant notification will be issued soon after this announcement so that all educational institutions can act on it legally.
In this regard, parents have been advised to avoid sending their children out late in the morning, and to ensure they wear masks while going to school, especially in areas where the risk of air pollution is high.
