Lahore: The Punjab government has decided to shorten summer vacations for schools and colleges across the province as part of a plan to standardise the academic calendar and improve educational outcomes.
The decision was taken on the recommendations of a committee formed 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.
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.
The move aims to improve students’ academic performance and ensure timely completion of the syllabus. Private school associations have also endorsed the proposal.
The committee held three meetings over the past four months and finalised its recommendations during the third meeting in Lahore, which was chaired by the Secretary School Education.
The committee 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 education bodies 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 prepare a unified academic calendar following the recommendations.
The committee was constituted during the hearing of a constitutional petition by LHC bench, who had raised concerns over the increasing number of holidays in educational institutions. The committee’s report is expected to be presented before the court at the next hearing, after which a final decision on the academic calendar is likely.