ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): The federal government has announced a four-day workweek for all Private Educational Institutions (PEIs) operating within the Islamabad Capital Territory, observing three weekly holidays from Friday to Sunday.
According to an official notification issued by the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training through the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (ICT-PEIRA), the decision has been taken in line with the government’s austerity and fuel conservation measures.
As per the notification, all private institutions will now conduct on-campus academic activities from Monday to Thursday only, with immediate effect. The new schedule will remain in place until further notice.
The directive emphasizes strict compliance, instructing all concerned institutions to implement the decision “in true letter and spirit.”
This move is expected to reduce energy consumption and operational costs while aligning the education sector with broader national conservation efforts.
Punjab Four-Day Week Schedule
Earlier, the Punjab government had declared a weekly holiday on Fridays for schools across the province in view of the government’s measures to conserve fuel amid the ongoing Middle East situation.
The notification issued by the Punjab Education Department stated that all public and private schools across the province will remain closed on Fridays, while schools will operate from Monday to Thursday.
“All Public & Private Schools across Punjab shall remain closed on Friday till further orders,” the notification said.
It further noted that single-shift schools will run from Monday to Thursday, from 8:00 am to 1:30 pm. The double-shift schools will operate from 8:00 am to 12:30 pm during the morning shift and from 1:30 pm to 5:30 pm during the evening shift.
Schools reopened
Educational institutions reopened on April 1 across the province following a 22-day closure from March 10-31 in line with the federal government’s measures to conserve fuel due to the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran, which has spiked global oil prices.
During this period, educational institutions conducted online classes, while examinations were held as scheduled.
A day earlier, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) also directed all public and private universities, along with degree-awarding institutions (DAIs), across the country to resume physical classes from April 1.
On the other hand, sources said that the Punjab government has decided not to impose a smart lockdown in the province.
During the meeting, the Punjab Chief Minister noted that it was not possible to agree on a smart lockdown for energy conservation; however, the government has decided to adopt alternative measures.
It has also been considered to convene a meeting of the Austerity Committee next week.
The Austerity Monitoring Committee meeting will consider the extension of further decisions, while a report on the decisions of the first meeting will also be presented.
