A committee formed on the directives of the Rawalpindi Bench of the Lahore High Court has proposed a major change to the academic calendar of schools and colleges across Punjab, recommending a reduction in summer vacations.
According to the committee’s recommendations, educational institutions would be required to complete 190 teaching days annually, under a standardized academic calendar applicable across the province.
Summer Vacations May Be Cut to Six Weeks
As part of the proposal, the committee suggested shortening summer vacations from the current two and a half months to just six weeks. The recommendation was finalized during the committee’s third meeting after multiple consultations over the past four months.
Under the proposed framework:
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Teaching days: 190 per year
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Total holidays: 175 per year
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Uniform academic calendar: Mandatory for all institutions
Private Schools Support the Proposal
Private school associations operating in Punjab have endorsed the plan, agreeing that the growing number of holidays has negatively impacted students’ academic performance.
The committee observed that in senior classes, lengthy breaks often result in unfinished syllabi, putting pressure on both students and teachers ahead of board examinations.
Education Department Directed to Act
Following the committee’s recommendations, Punjab School Education Department Special Secretary Muhammad Iqbal directed PECTA and the Director Public Instruction (Secondary and Elementary) to prepare a uniform academic calendar within three days.
The committee was constituted by Justice Jawad Hassan while hearing a writ petition challenging the increasing number of holidays in Punjab’s educational institutions. The third and final meeting was held in Lahore under the chairmanship of the Secretary Schools Education Department.
If approved, the proposal could bring one of the biggest structural changes to Punjab’s education system in recent years.
