Officials report that approximately 40% of private schools located in the Rawalpindi district are ignoring the winter schedules mandated by the Punjab School Education Department, even after receiving multiple warnings.
The Punjab government established an official start time of 8:45 a.m. and a dismissal time of 1:30 p.m. for educational institutions. Despite this directive, numerous private facilities keep operating from 7:30 a.m. until 2 p.m., completely ignoring the government notification.
Authorities implemented this updated timetable to shield children from freezing early morning temperatures as winter weather sets in. Youngsters face rising rates of seasonal sicknesses, such as influenza, common colds, runny noses, and ongoing coughs.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz took notice of these infractions and instructed the department to enforce the adjusted hours strictly. Furthermore, she commanded authorities to take action against any institutions failing to obey.
Available data shows that about 60% of schools obey the updated timetable, while the rest ignore the guidelines. Meanwhile, parents have called on officials to guarantee total compliance.
Department representatives verified that multiple private schools keep breaking the mandated schedule. They announced that the department will start filing FIRs against schools that refuse to obey the official directive.
