The School Education Department of Punjab announced that 2,925 government schools across the province have been shut down[1] due to severe flooding, marking a major disruption in the education system. The widespread Punjab school closures have left thousands of children unable to attend regular classes.
According to Secretary of School Education Khalid Nazir Wattoo, 1,151 schools have sustained structural damage, including 817 partially affected and 45 completely destroyed. In addition, more than 1,700 schools are currently being used as flood relief camps, further suspending academic activities.
Both boys’ and girls’ schools are affected by the crisis, with 1,505 girls’ schools and 1,420 boys’ schools shut down. This situation has disrupted the education of more than 680,000 students, particularly in districts such as Gujrat, Dera Ghazi Khan, and Multan, where a large number of schools remain non-functional.
Wattoo emphasized that the conversion of educational institutions into relief centers has compounded the crisis, creating long-term challenges for students, teachers, and communities alike.