Punjab Schools Resuming Classes Today Following A Week Long Rain-Induced Closure

Harjot Singh Bains, the Minister of Education for Punjab, has announced that schools in the state, which have been closed since July 10 due to continuous rainfall and flooding, will reopen today, July 17. However, Deputy Commissioners have been instructed to declare holidays at their respective levels only if the regions are still flooded or if school buildings have been damaged. Bains shared this update on his official Twitter account on July 16. His tweet reads, "Starting tomorrow, Monday, July 17, 2023, all schools in Punjab will open as usual. All Deputy Commissioners in the state are directed to ensure that the premises of Government/Aid/Recognised and Private schools are safe for children in coordination with the Panchayat, Education, Local Government, Irrigation, Public Works, or other relevant departments."

According to the Education Minister, Deputy Commissioners have been asked to collaborate with Panchayats, local bodies, irrigation, and the Public Works Department (PWD) to ensure the safety of school structures for children. Initially, the government had ordered the closure of schools from July 10 to 13, but the break was extended until July 16 due to heavy rainfall in the state, following the orders of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Bains emphasizes in his tweet that school administrations must ensure the safety of their structures based on the children's level, as the responsibility for all aspects of student safety lies with the respective school authorities. The government requires them to ensure the safety of children on school premises. Furthermore, Deputy Commissioners in heavily affected districts will only declare holidays for schools if any schools are flooded or if school buildings are compromised.

Meanwhile, the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) has postponed the reappear examinations for the fifth and eighth grades due to the floods and heavy rain in the state. The board has stated that the revised exam dates will be announced soon.