The Punjab School Education Department issued a clarification on Saturday rejecting a viral notification circulating on social media that claimed all public and private schools across the province would remain closed until 25 April 2026, confirming that schools are open and operating under the current four-day weekly schedule announced on 1 April. The denial marks the fourth time in less than a month that Punjab authorities have been forced to counter misinformation about school closures as the province’s energy crisis continues to generate public anxiety.
A notification circulated widely on WhatsApp and social media platforms claiming Punjab schools — both public and private — would remain closed until 25 April 2026, an extension attributed to the ongoing fuel crisis and the government’s energy conservation measures following Pakistan’s record petrol price hike.
The Punjab government confirmed the document was not issued by the School Education Department and directed parents and guardians to rely only on official sources, including the Punjab SED website at schools.punjab.gov.pk and announcements from Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat.
Schools across Punjab reopened on 1 April 2026 following a 22-day closure from 10 to 31 March — implemented under Punjab’s “War Austerity Plan” to reduce fuel consumption after global energy prices surged due to the US-Israel war on Iran and the resulting closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Upon reopening, the Punjab Education Department issued a formal notification declaring Friday a weekly holiday for all schools, operating from Monday to Thursday. School timings under the new four-day schedule run from 8:00am to 1:30pm. For double-shift schools, the morning shift runs from 8:00am to 12:30pm and the afternoon shift from 1:00pm to 5:30pm. Both government and private institutions fall under this order.
The four-day schedule was formally notified by the School Education Department and Higher Education Department and shared by Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat on X. A separate notification from the Higher Education Department extended the four-day week to public and private colleges and universities as well.
This is not the first time Punjab has had to counter viral school closure claims during the fuel crisis. In late March, a viral document had claimed schools would reopen on April 1 but operate on a four-day working week from Monday to Thursday, with Friday and Saturday off for physical classes. The government confirmed schools would reopen on April 1 but rejected the four-day claim at that time — before later formally announcing the Friday closure separately.
Before that, Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat was forced to state publicly: “Schools are open as per schedule. No closure and no online classes. All public and private schools are open,” after speculation spread on social media that schools might close due to national fuel conservation measures.
The confirmed Friday closure is itself drawing legal opposition. Irfan Muzaffar Kiyani, president of the All Pakistan Private Schools and Colleges Association, said schools had already remained shut for 21 days in March. That three weekly holidays would further damage students’ learning. He argued that between now and 31 May, 27 holidays fall on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, plus three more days for Eid al-Adha — totalling 30 holidays, leaving only around 30 effective teaching days over the next two months. Private school organisations have announced plans to challenge the Friday closure notification in the Lahore High Court.
Schools across Punjab are open Monday to Thursday, 8:00am to 1:30pm. Fridays remain a weekly holiday for all public and private schools until further orders from the Punjab School Education Department. No closure until 25 April exists as official policy. Any notification to the contrary circulating on social media is unverified. Parents should verify all school-related announcements directly through schools.punjab.gov.pk or the official Punjab Education Department social media accounts before acting on them.