While schools in several southern states are preparing to reopen after the summer break, Punjab has taken the opposite approach by extending the holiday period due to continuing heatwave conditions across the state. According to the Punjab School Education Department, all government, aided and private schools across the state will remain closed for summer vacation from June 1 to June 30.

Southern States Prepare To Reopen Schools: The announcement comes at a time when states such as Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karnataka are preparing to resume classes after the summer holidays. School education departments in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have already announced that schools will reopen on June 4, with preparations for the new academic session currently underway.

Punjab authorities said the decision was taken in view of rising temperatures and concerns over students’ safety. The education department noted that excessive heat could make daily travel to and from school difficult for students. As a result, the state government decided to prioritise their well-being by declaring a month-long summer vacation. The order applies uniformly to all government-run, government-aided and private educational institutions across Punjab.

Education Department Issues Statewide Directive: The School Education Department has directed all concerned officials to strictly implement the order. Copies of the notification have been circulated to the School Education Minister, senior departmental officials, directors, district education officers, assistant district education officers and other relevant authorities to ensure compliance across the state.

Although some districts witnessed a slight drop in temperatures over the past two days, weather forecasts indicate that heat levels could increase again during June. The India Meteorological Department has issued heatwave warnings for several districts, raising concerns about prolonged periods of extreme weather in parts of the state. Authorities said the decision to keep schools closed throughout June was taken in line with these weather warnings and the need to protect students from severe heat conditions.

With many northern regions continuing to experience intense summer temperatures even as the monsoon approaches southern India, Punjab’s education authorities have emphasised that student safety remains the primary consideration behind the decision. Officials are expected to continue monitoring weather conditions throughout the month before schools resume normal operations.