Punjab announces summer vacations from May 22 to August 23

LAHORE (Web Desk): The Punjab government has announced nearly three months of summer vacations for schools and colleges across the province due to rising temperatures and ongoing heatwave conditions.

According to a notification issued by the Punjab School Education Department, all educational institutions will remain closed from May 22 to August 23, while classes will resume from August 24.

The notification was issued by Secretary Schools Education Punjab Mudassar Riaz.

The decision comes as a major shift from the provincial government’s earlier proposal to shorten summer vacations in order to standardise the academic calendar and increase teaching days.

Earlier this year, Punjab authorities had proposed reducing summer holidays by 36 days, aiming to improve academic performance and ensure timely completion of syllabi.

Punjab reviewing proposals regarding summer vacations in schools

Under the earlier proposal, vacations were expected to be reduced from two months and 15 days to six weeks.

The recommendation had been prepared by a committee formed on the directions of the Rawalpindi Bench of the Lahore High Court in January 2026.

The committee had recommended that all public and private educational institutions in Punjab complete at least 190 teaching days annually, warning that longer vacations were negatively affecting educational standards and student performance.

Officials said the latest decision to extend summer holidays was taken in view of the intense weather conditions being experienced across different parts of Punjab.

Representatives of private educational institutions had earlier supported the proposal for shorter vacations, calling it an important step towards maintaining academic discipline and improving learning outcomes.

The Punjab Education Curriculum and Testing Authority and the Director Public Instruction for Elementary and Secondary Education had also been tasked with preparing a uniform academic calendar for implementation across the province.