Cold spell forces Sindh government to revise school openings from January 12

KARACHI (Dunya News) – The Sindh government has announced revised school timings across the province after a sharp drop in temperatures triggered a cold wave, prompting authorities to take precautionary measures for students.

Acting on the instructions of Sindh Education Minister Sardar Shah, the Education and Literacy Department issued an official notification changing the opening time of all schools in view of the intensifying winter conditions.

According to the notification, all public and private schools in Sindh will now open at 9am, while closing times will remain unchanged. The revised schedule will come into effect from Monday, January 12, and will remain in place until January 26. Officials said the move was taken to protect students, particularly young children, from exposure to extreme morning cold.

Severe Cold Wave Across Sindh

Schools will NOT remain closed but the opening time has been revised.

All public and private schools will now open at 9:00 AM instead of 8:00 AM. pic.twitter.com/niw9XHzyYx

— Minister Education & Literacy Government of Sindh (@MinisterEduGos) January 10, 2026

The education department confirmed that the decision was made following a directive from Sardar Shah, who ordered an immediate adjustment to school timings as temperatures across the province continued to fall. The notification applies to all educational institutions operating under both government and private management in Sindh.

The cold wave has affected large parts of the province, including Karachi, where temperatures have dropped to their lowest levels of the ongoing winter season. The Pakistan Meteorological Department reported that the city recorded its coldest night between Thursday and Friday, with the minimum temperature falling to 7.1 degrees Celsius at Jinnah Terminal, the lowest reading so far this winter.

Punjab extends winter holidays for schools till January 18

While Sindh has opted to keep schools open with revised timings, Punjab has taken a different approach. The Punjab government has extended winter holidays for all educational institutions by an additional week due to the severity of the cold weather. Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat said the decision was made in the interest of students’ health and safety.

Hayat added that the extension followed a public survey in which around 87 percent of respondents supported prolonging the winter break, while about 13 percent were in favour of reopening schools on January 12. The contrasting measures highlight how provinces are responding differently to the same cold wave affecting much of the country.

In Sindh, education officials said the 9am opening time would help reduce the risk of children travelling to school in the coldest hours of the morning, especially in areas where temperatures have fallen sharply in recent days. The department noted that the arrangement would be reviewed after January 26, depending on prevailing weather conditions.