The provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has announced an additional weekly holiday for educational institutions, temporarily reducing the number of working days in schools, colleges, and universities. The decision has been taken to conserve fuel amid rising petroleum prices and supply concerns in the region.
According to notifications issued by the Elementary and Secondary Education Department and the Higher Education, Archives and Libraries Department, all public and private educational institutions across the province will remain closed on Fridays and Saturdays. The decision was approved during a provincial cabinet meeting held on March 9.
Under the directive, institutions operating under the Elementary and Secondary Education Department will observe the two-day closure for a period of two months or until further orders. However, school administrations have been encouraged to continue learning through home-schooling or online classes where possible to avoid disruption in academic activities.
Similarly, the Higher Education Department has instructed all universities, degree-awarding institutions, and colleges in the province to follow the same schedule. Authorities have also advised higher education institutions to adopt hybrid or online learning methods during the remaining working days to ensure continuity of education.
Officials stated that the temporary measure aims to reduce fuel consumption while maintaining educational activities through alternative learning arrangements. The government will review the policy after two months depending on the fuel supply situation and economic conditions.
