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As the monsoon season intensifies, over 3,000 government school buildings in Punjab have been declared structurally dangerous, putting thousands of students and teachers at risk.
Despite multiple warnings and inspections over the years, the Punjab School Education Department has failed to carry out necessary repairs or reconstruction of these decaying buildings.
Official records show that unsafe buildings are in use across several districts, including Lahore, Faisalabad, Narowal, Multan, Bahawalpur, and Rawalpindi.
In Lahore, hundreds of government schools are either partially or completely unfit for use. Many buildings in older areas have cracked walls, exposed wiring, and waterlogged classrooms. In some cases, roofs have already collapsed after moderate rainfall.
Leaky Roofs and Collapse Risks Threaten School Safety
Several schools experience roof leaks even during light rain, while others are at high risk of collapse during heavy downpours or strong winds.
Sources confirmed that authorities had labeled many of these structures as “unfit” years ago and had issued directions for urgent restoration. However, the department has made only limited progress on the repair work.
With the academic year scheduled to begin in August, there is growing concern that students may return to dangerous learning environments.
Officials say the government has allocated Rs5 billion in the new fiscal year to rebuild flood-damaged and weak school structures. This includes many of the government school buildings in Punjab marked unsafe in the audit.
While the funding offers hope, education experts and civil society groups are urging swift and transparent action. They are calling for a clear timeline and proper oversight to ensure repairs are completed before schools reopen.
