LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Schools and Higher Education Rana Sikandar Hayat said on Monday that academic activities in the province will resume from April 1 (Wednesday), with five-days-a-week classes.

He said that from April 1, academic activities will resume in all educational institutions (schools, colleges, and universities) across the province, without any “hybrid system.”

He emphasised that the government is not shifting to online classes and that all classes would be conducted physically.

He termed fake a “notification” circulating on social media regarding the four-days-a-week classes. All educational institutions across the province will remain open five days a week as per routine, he says, advising the students to attend classes and focus on their studies.

On March 9, the provincial government had announced that educational institutions, including schools, colleges and universities, would remain closed from March 10 to March 31 -- a move aimed at curtailing fuel use amid the global oil crisis triggered by the US-Israel war on Iran.

Minister denies allowing “hybrid system” or four-days-a-week classes in educational institutions; declares social media notification as fake

Earlier, the Punjab government on Monday also declared the “notification” circulating on social media as fake. In a post on X, the Punjab government shared a picture of the fake notification, which stated that schools would observe a “four-day working week” amid the ongoing crisis.

“The government of Punjab refutes the contents of this ‘fake’ notification regarding school schedules circulating on the internet, in the strongest of terms.

“Please be advised against any such notifications emanating from non-government source(s). Parents and guardians are advised to maintain vigilance against such unverified documents/ notifications and to contact the relevant government department(s) in case of any ambiguity,” the government said.

The minister also paid a surprise visit to different examination centres set up for holding matriculation exams, where he reviewed the examination process and facilities for the candidates. He checked candidates’ identification through QR codes and also inspected the installation and functioning of CCTV cameras in examination halls.

He also visited the control room established for online monitoring of examination centres and directed the authorities concerned to control the movement of unauthorised persons around the centres.

He said Section 144 has been imposed around sensitive centres, directing that the monitoring of examination centres through CCTV cameras must be ensured.

The minister stated that an open war has been declared against “cheating mafias.”

He said that a strong network of cheating mafias was dismantled last year, and it will not be allowed to reemerge this year.

He said that his personal teams have been deployed for covert monitoring of examination centres across Punjab. Every centre is being secretly monitored, he adds.

He warned that those who facilitate cheating and those who engage in it will face immediate legal action.

The minister further said that transparency in the exams is being ensured through biometric attendance and QR code scanning.

He directed educational boards to keep all centres online and ordered immediate action at the centres where complaints are being reported, adding that he should be kept informed about the action taken on such complaints.

In Multan, Commissioner Aamir Karim Khan conducted surprise visits to the exam centres to review facilities, security and overall management. The visits were aimed at ensuring a fair and transparent examination process across the division.

During the inspections, the commissioner visited the Government Comprehensive Girls School and other centres, where he inspected seating arrangements, availability of basic facilities, and adherence to examination protocols.

He also visited the examination centre established at La Salle Higher Secondary School, expressing satisfaction over the arrangements.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2026