Rana Sikandar’s school reversals raise questions over who calls shots

LAHORE: Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat’s latest change in position on school operations has renewed scrutiny of the province’s education decision-making process after he reiterated support for a five-day school week, only for an official notification later to announce Friday closure for all public and private schools and revised timings from Monday to Thursday.

On March 30, the minister had announced that educational institutions across Punjab would reopen from April 1 and operate five days a week. He had also rejected as fake a circulating notification claiming schools would shift to a four-day schedule. He repeated the same position on Wednesday morning, saying schools in Punjab would continue to function five days a week in the interest of academic continuity and educational standards.

Later on Wednesday, however, the official position changed. It was announced that all public and private schools in Punjab would remain closed on Fridays until further orders, while school timings for Monday to Thursday were reduced. Under the notification, single-shift public schools are to operate from 8am to 1:30pm, morning shifts in double-shift schools from 8am to 12:30pm, and afternoon schools from 1pm to 5:30pm.

The latest development has again drawn attention to the gap between the minister’s public statements and subsequent official decisions. The issue is no longer limited to whether schools will operate five days or four days a week, but has shifted to whether announcements are being made before a final decision is formally cleared.

The episode is not an isolated one. On March 6, the minister had said Punjab was not considering school closures or a shift to online classes and that institutions would continue according to schedule.

It was later reported that he had ruled out both closure and online learning at that stage. Within days, however, the province suspended on-campus learning and later announced a reopening plan that has now itself been altered.

A similar development had taken place during the winter break. On January 9, the minister had said schools and colleges in Punjab would reopen on January 12 and dismissed reports of an extension in winter vacations. A day later, winter vacations were extended till January 19.

These repeated changes have placed focus on whether the education minister is part of the final decision-making stage or whether policy announcements are being issued before the approval process is complete. The pattern has also raised questions about internal coordination within the Punjab government on matters affecting school operations.

The matter has also attracted reaction on social media. In comments posted under one of the minister’s earlier Facebook posts, some users referred to the government as “U-turn wali sarkar,” a phrase that has since been echoed more widely in response to the changing announcements on school schedules.

Officials have not publicly explained the reasons for the latest shift beyond the notification stating that it was issued pursuant to the approval of the competent authority. School decisions in recent weeks have come amid broader administrative and operational adjustments, but the repeated reversals have kept attention fixed on how and when such decisions are being communicated.

For now, the Friday closure and revised timings stand as the latest official position. But the sequence of statements and notifications has again brought the province’s education communication process under question, particularly over whether final policy is being conveyed to the public only after it has been fully settled.