LAHORE:School Education Department (SED) Punjab has ordered the immediate vacation of all school buildings declared dangerous or partially dangerous across the province.
According to the Annual School Census 2024-25 by the Programme Monitoring and Implementation Unit (PMIU), SED Punjab, there are 589 public schools in Punjab classified as critically dangerous, while 2,448 are considered partially dangerous.
The move is widely seen as a reactive response that came only after the recent Sialkot tragedy in which the collapse of a school structure led to the death of a class-8 student on February 21.
The notification, issued the same day, bars students from entering, sitting, studying or assembling in such buildings under any circumstances. District authorities have been directed to seal and cordon off unsafe structures and install warning signboards.
The department has also warned that in case of any incident due to negligence or non-compliance, the officials concerned, including the CEO, DEO, Deputy DEO, AEO and the head teacher will be held responsible and strict disciplinary action will be taken.
Talking to The News a number of teachers terming the move reactive, privately described the move as a precautionary step to avoid administrative fallout in case of any future incident, saying such directives also serve as a record that safety orders had been issued at the highest level.
It is pertinent to mention here that as per the annual school census, a large majority of public schools – 32,401 – have been rated satisfactory in terms of building. However, many still need repairs, specifically, 5,388 schools require minor repairs.
Sources in the SED Punjab said students from vacated schools will be shifted to rented buildings or nearby institutions as temporary arrangements and added that while the notification was issued on Feb. 21, it went viral as widely shared on Tuesday.
The development has renewed concerns among education stakeholders that structural risks in public schools are often addressed only after tragedies, rather than through continuous safety audits and timely preventive action.
