In response to worsening floods, Punjab extends school closures to 7 Sept 2025; 3.5 lakh people affected, while education minister urges adherence to safety protocols amid rescue operations.
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Amid the relentless flooding that has upended life in Punjab, the state government announced on 3 September 2025 that all schools, colleges, universities, and polytechnic institutes will remain closed until 7 September 2025. Originally scheduled to resume classes on 4 September, the deepening crisis prompted Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains to extend the holiday period, emphasizing that the decision was made on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to ensure student safety amid ongoing disaster operations.
The closure applies uniformly across the public and private sectors, and govenrments and institutional heads have been asked to manage hostel students’ welfare urgently. The extended break reflects the severity of the situation: over 3.5 lakh people affected, 30 dead, and widescale villages submerged and infrastructure damaged.
While the decision has offered reassurance to worried families, it also poses concerns around learning continuity, especially for board-exam classes and students preparing for competitive tests. Educators are exploring online and community-based learning options, but flood-induced power outages and connectivity gaps in rural areas complicate the picture further.
Parents and teachers associations are calling for remote learning kits, radio-based lessons, and counseling support for students coping with trauma. Education officials say they will issue a framework for catch-up classes and academic compensations once flood waters recede and transport resumes.
Meanwhile, the extended educational shutdown allows the state to prioritize rescue and relief rather than risk putting students in harm’s way traveling flooded roads. It also buys time for infrastructural assessment—many schools in low-lying Zira, Tarn Taran, and Kapurthala have water-logged foundations and contaminated premises requiring decontamination before reopening.
As Punjab braces for further rains, prolonging shutdowns may become necessary in some districts. But for now, authorities are balancing the urgent need for public safety with plans to resume education as soon as conditions permit.
This is a web generated news report.
