Back to School

March 31, 2026

Newspaper, Opinions, Editorials

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The decision to resume in-person schooling across Punjab from April 1 comes at an important moment, and it is the right one. After weeks of disruption triggered by the global fuel crisis, the return to physical classrooms restores a sense of normalcy at a time when students are approaching a critical phase of the academic calendar.

The argument for in-person education is not difficult to make. While hybrid and online systems offer temporary continuity, they come with inherent compromises. Learning, particularly at the school level, is not merely the transmission of information. It depends on structure, discipline, peer interaction, and direct engagement with teachers. These elements are diluted in online settings, where attention spans weaken and accountability declines. Over time, this leads to gaps that are difficult to recover, especially in exam season.

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The minister’s decision to reject a hybrid model reflects an understanding of these limitations. A five-day, in-person schedule provides consistency and ensures that students can fully re-engage with their studies. With examinations either underway or imminent for many, any further disruption would have compounded learning losses and increased uncertainty for both students and parents.

It is also important to recognise that the conditions which initially prompted the closure have not translated into a sustained domestic crisis. Pakistan, at least for now, remains relatively insulated from the worst effects of the global fuel situation. Continuing with closures or reduced schedules in such a context would have been an overcorrection, one that risks harming educational outcomes without delivering proportional benefits.

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The spread of misinformation, such as the fake notification about a four-day school week, further underscores the need for clarity and decisiveness in policy. In times of uncertainty, ambiguity only adds to disruption.

Restoring full, in-person schooling is not just an administrative decision; it is a reaffirmation of the centrality of education. At a time when students need stability the most, returning to classrooms is both necessary and justified.

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