The floods have claimed more than 360 lives and left 181 people injured across multiple districts, with Buner bearing the heaviest casualties in recent days. Other severely impacted areas include Swat, Shangla, Bajuar, Lower Dir, Battagram, and Mansehra, while Swabi alone reported 23 fatalities on Tuesday.
Provincial education authorities announced the temporary shutdown to safeguard students, faculty, and support staff from ongoing dangers. The closure affects institutions in the winter zone, encompassing the Hazara and Malakand divisions, where classes were still in session. Educational facilities in other parts of the province remain closed for summer holidays.
“Given the imminent risks of cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides due to evolving weather patterns, authorities have mandated that all winter zone schools stay closed from August 19th through August 25th as a precautionary safety measure,” stated an official notice from the elementary and secondary education department.
School administrators have been instructed to maintain educational continuity through remote learning methods, including home-based instruction and online coursework. The education department has also suspended all student-related activities throughout the province in the interest of student safety.
A separate directive from the higher education department confirmed that colleges and universities would also remain shuttered for the week-long period.
The destruction has been extensive across the education sector. Officials report that 66 government schools have been completely destroyed, while 603 others have sustained damage in flood-affected districts. Among the destroyed facilities are 61 primary schools, three middle schools, and two high schools.
Updated figures released by the education department on Tuesday show the number of damaged schools has increased from 414 to 603. The breakdown includes 470 primary schools, 514 middle schools, 55 high schools, and 24 higher secondary schools suffering various degrees of damage.
