WHEN schools are closed, especially at times when they are expected to be open, the loss in terms of educational and learning outcomes can be substantial. Out of the 365 days that make up the year, we get only 160 days or so for teaching and learning time, thanks to the weekends and a number of scheduled national and religious holidays. When schools are shut for a longer period, it makes it difficult for teachers to complete the syllabus, to revise or make time for deeper learning. They may not even have time for the repetition of lessons that may be needed when young people are learning new things.
On the other hand, take a look at the trends in the context of curricula reviews, including of the infamous Single National Curriculum. We have added a) more subjects to the curriculum, b) more material and learning objectives to all subjects, c) more requirements for what teachers need to do in class to explain things, and d) more expectations of how teachers should assess the students.
Reducing the time and the number of days spent on teaching and adding more to the curriculum of each grade cannot go together, of course. The ultimate cost is borne by the children whose education is compromised as a result. As it is, the quality of education is quite poor in most schools in the country. Learning poverty figures are already high: 77 per cent for 10-year-olds by one estimate. How do further school closures make sense then?
The most recent example of this sort of policy action was seen when the Punjab education minister announced in early August that schools would remain closed in the province until the end of the month, instead of opening, as initially announced, on Aug 15. No real reason was given for the closure, and we just heard some vague references to the weather and so on. The weather, even if inclement, cannot be the same across a province as big as Punjab. So how can it be a reason for the blanket closure of schools across the province for approximately 15 days? And did the minister know that the weather would be better from the beginning of September? As I write this, we are still facing heavy rains and floods.
We should talk about decentralising school closure beyond regular holidays to the district level.
There are two issues that should be debated here. One, shouldn’t there be a policy for school closures? Of course, we cannot predict all the events that could lead to such closures, but, given our experience over time, we have a good idea of the reasons behind school closures.
In recent times, schools have been closed due to smog, fog, cold weather, heat, rain and floods — as well as the anticipation of these climatic events. Schools have also been closed at times of protests or in anticipation of public demonstrations. At times, they have been closed when foreign or other dignitaries are visiting a city or a certain area. In addition, schools have been closed to prevent students from joining protests in an organised way. Maybe, there should be a policy that looks at a) the circumstances under which schools can be closed, b) who should have the power to make the decision, and c) what the post-facto accountability process should be for ensuring policy compliance.
Two, the issue of procedure should also be looked at in detail. Who should decide if schools should close? We are not talking of individual school closures as that power should obviously reside with those at the school level. We are talking about the power to shut down approximately 50,000 public/ government schools across Punjab (as well as thousands of public schools in the other provinces) and some 150,000 private schools across the country. Since education is a devolved subject, policy decisions have to be made at the province level, though it may be determined that the decision to close schools should be taken at the district or even sub-district level by specified educational authorities.
Within the procedural domain, there are two things to keep in mind: is it, or is it not, an emergency situation? If it is an emergency situation, we have to ensure that some official has the power to decide things, according to the policy parameters already in place, but the decision should be subject to a post-facto review to ensure not just accountability but also optimal learning and precedent-setting.
If we can foresee something coming up, the decision should not only be made according to policy — there should be a role for consultation with the relevant stakeholders, especially school officials and teachers, so that the best ways to deal with an anticipated situation can be determined. If there is a fair warning of what to expect, schools might be able to adjust their teaching in advance, and come up with options such as online learning, supplementary classes and so on. Prior warning and consultation will allow for smoother and better responses.
At the policy level, we should seriously think about decentralising school closure issues beyond yearly and regular holidays to the district level. The education minister, sitting in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar or Quetta should not really have this power. Our provinces are just too big to allow for that. Most issues related to the weather, protests and other emergencies tend to be local and they should be met with local responses. This will take away some of the arbitrariness from the process and force provincial officials to conduct better, more thoughtful and careful policymaking to set the parameters for local actions as well.
Closing down schools may appear to be the easy option in any perceived or real emergency as the cost of this measure is not immediate and clear to most people. But, in light of the impact on the learning of millions of students in the country, the cost to children and their families — in fact, to society as a whole — is quite substantial. The action should not be arbitrary or based on convenience. It should be based on a well-thought-out policy that sets the parameters for closure, allows for due consultation if there is time, and post-facto accountability.
Opinion Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2025
