LAHORE (Kashmir English): To standardize the academic calendar and boost student performance, the Punjab government has decided to shorten summer vacations for schools and colleges across the province.
The decision was taken on the recommendations of a committee constituted on the directives of the Rawalpindi Bench of the Lahore High Court.
The committee proposed a uniform academic calendar requiring all schools and colleges in Punjab to complete 190 teaching days annually.
Plan to cut summer vacations by 36 days
According to a statement shared on social media by the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Lahore, the government plans to cut summer vacations by 36 days, reducing them from two months and 15 days to six weeks only.
According to officials, the move aims to improve students’ performance and ensure timely completion of the syllabus. Private school associations have also endorsed the proposal, according to media reports.
The committee chaired by the Secretary School Education took four months to finalise its recommendations. It said in its report that a steady increase in holidays in recent years has adversely affected the education system, particularly at higher grade levels where syllabi are often not completed on time, impacting students’ academic performance.
Private educational institutions have welcomed the recommendations, stating that a uniform and balanced academic calendar would improve education standards and help students complete their coursework more effectively.
The Punjab Education Curriculum and Testing Authority (PECTA) and the Director of Public Instruction (Elementary and Secondary) are preparing a unified academic calendar following the committee recommendations.
The committee was constituted during the hearing of a constitutional petition by LHC bench, which had raised concerns over the increasing number of holidays in educational institutions.
The committee’s report is expected to be presented before the LHC at the next hearing, after which a final decision on the academic calendar is likely.
