Punjab’s education system may soon see major changes after a committee formed on the directives of the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi Bench recommended a standardized academic calendar for schools and colleges across the province.
The committee has proposed that all public and private educational institutions in Punjab must complete 190 teaching days every academic year. The recommendation aims to bring uniformity and improve academic outcomes by ensuring sufficient instructional time for students at all levels.
One of the key proposals is a reduction in summer vacations. The committee suggested cutting the current two-and-a-half-month summer break to just six weeks. According to the committee, extended vacations significantly disrupt academic continuity and make it difficult to complete syllabi on time.
Under the proposed plan, educational institutions would observe 175 holidays annually, while academic and instructional days would remain fixed at 190. The committee noted that the rising number of holidays each year has had a negative impact on learning, especially in senior classes where courses often remain incomplete.
Private school associations across Punjab have endorsed the proposal, signaling broad support for a unified academic structure. Following the recommendations, Punjab School Education Department Special Secretary Muhammad Iqbal directed the Punjab Education Curriculum and Training Authority (PECTA) and the Director Public Instruction for Secondary and Elementary Education 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 panel met three times over the past four months and finalized its recommendations during its third meeting, which was held in Lahore under the chairmanship of the secretary schools education and presided over by Special Secretary Muhammad Iqbal.
