Climate change continued to disrupt educational activities across Punjab in 2025, with rising smog levels, harsher winters and extreme summer heat forcing repeated school closures and reducing effective teaching days.

According to education officials, schools remained closed for an additional 20 to 25 days due to weather-related factors during the year. Smog remained the most significant factor. In November 2025, dense smog engulfed several cities of the province, prompting authorities to suspend classes for nearly 10 to 12 days. The situation mirrored previous years, as smog between November and January repeatedly forced temporary closures.

Winter conditions further compounded the disruption. Authorities extended winter vacations in view of unusually severe cold. In some areas, snowfall and strong icy winds led to additional closures lasting five to seven days. The summer season was no different. With temperatures soaring above normal levels, the government extended holidays in certain districts. Extreme heat resulted in another five to seven days of school closures.

In Pakistan, the academic session generally runs for nine months, starting in August or September and ending in May or June. On average, schools are expected to operate for 200 to 210 teaching days annually. However, due to climate-related disruptions and unexpected closures, effective teaching days in 2025 dropped to between 190 and 200.

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Students voiced their concerns over the repeated academic interruptions. Waleed Dawood, a student, revealed that worsening weather patterns and persistent smog in Lahore resulted in sudden closures during the academic session. “I would urge the authorities to improve planning. Educational institutions should operate on schedules different from standard office hours,” said Dawood, who also called for revisiting holiday durations in line with seasonal realities.

Kainat Shahid, a final-year Social Work student, felt that the government should align the start of the academic year with prevailing climate conditions to minimise learning losses. “A structured mechanism can avoid frequent mid-session closures. Changes in the academic calendar have been happening for years, but policymakers have failed to take decisive action,” she said, adding that repeated holidays significantly affected students’ learning outcomes.

A spokesperson for the Education Department revealed that summer vacations typically lasted six to eight weeks, while winter vacations spanned two to three weeks. National holidays accounted for one to two days, and weather-related closures due to smog added another one to two weeks. Despite the additional disruptions this year, the government attempted to keep the academic session close to 200 days by adjusting the calendar in line with weather conditions.

Officials acknowledged that further policy measures would be required to minimise academic disruption caused by climate change. Data shared by teachers’ representatives indicated that the actual number of teaching days may be even lower. Out of 365 days a year, 104 days fall on weekends. In addition, there are 56 days of summer vacation, 21 days of winter vacation, and around 12 public holidays. After deducting these days, the effective academic period may shrink to nearly 172 days instead of the intended 200.

Rana Liaqat, Head of the Punjab Teachers Union Association, informed that frequent closures made it difficult to complete the syllabus on time. “While proposals to reform the academic calendar have been presented in the past, no final decision has been implemented,” noted Liaqat.

With climate patterns becoming increasingly unpredictable, stakeholders believe that revisiting the academic structure has become imperative to ensure continuity and quality in education across the province.