For the last few weeks, the mornings in Punjab have had a slightly slower rhythm. Thanks to the winter chill and that stubborn morning fog, school timings were pushed back to give students and let’s be honest, exhausted parents a little more time under the blankets. But as of tomorrow, January 22, the "late start" privilege is officially coming to an end.The Punjab government has announced that schools across the state be they government, private, or aided will resume their normal operational hours. If you’ve gotten used to that extra hour of sleep or a more relaxed breakfast routine, it’s time to recalibrate your internal clock.Why the change?Usually, these adjustments are seasonal. During the peak of the "Sheetlahar" (cold wave), the safety of children traveling in low visibility is the top priority. Now that the extreme weather warnings have eased up a bit and the fog isn't as dense in many regions, the administration feels it’s time to get back to the standard academic schedule. The goal is to ensure that the syllabus stays on track as we head into the business end of the academic year.What does this mean for you?If you have kids in school, today is the day to double-check their uniforms and get the bags packed early. The school buses will be back to their original pick-up times, and those familiar morning "school runs" will once again see the usual hustle-bustle on the streets of Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, and beyond.While the students might miss those lazy winter starts, there is a silver lining. Reverting to normal timings means we are slowly moving towards spring, and the disruption to the teaching hours is finally over. For the teachers, it's a return to the structured day they need to prepare students for upcoming exams.A Quick Tip for ParentsDon’t wait until tomorrow morning to see how the kids react to the earlier wake-up call. It’s probably a good idea to push the bedtime a little earlier tonight. The transition from "winter timing" back to "normal timing" always feels a bit like jet lag for younger children.So, enjoy that last bit of today's relaxed schedule. From tomorrow, the familiar sound of school bells at the break of dawn is back!
Around the web
