Devastating floods across Punjab have forced the closure of 2,925 government schools throughout the province, according to the School Education Department.
Extent of Damage
School Education Secretary Khalid Nazir Wattoo revealed that flood damage has affected educational infrastructure on multiple levels:
- 1,151 schools have suffered direct flood damage
- 817 schools experienced partial destruction
- 45 schools were completely destroyed
- Over 1,700 schools have been repurposed as emergency flood relief centers
The closures affect educational facilities serving both genders, with 1,505 girls’ schools and 1,420 boys’ schools currently unable to operate normally.
Educational Impact
The widespread school closures have created a significant educational crisis, disrupting learning for more than 680,000 students across the province. The hardest-hit areas include the districts of Gujrat, Dera Ghazi Khan, and Multan, where substantial numbers of educational institutions remain out of service.
Compounding Challenges
Secretary Wattoo emphasized that the conversion of school buildings into flood relief camps has created additional complications for the education sector. This dual-purpose use of educational facilities has intensified the disruption to academic activities, creating cascading effects for both students and teaching staff throughout the affected regions.
The crisis highlights the urgent need for both immediate flood relief efforts and long-term planning to restore educational services to hundreds of thousands of affected students.
