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Punjab may soon see a major shift in how its school year is structured. A committee formed on the directions of the Rawalpindi Bench of the Lahore High Court has recommended a standardized academic calendar requiring schools and colleges across the province to complete 190 teaching days each year.
The proposal also suggests reducing summer vacations. Currently, institutions observe nearly two and a half months of summer break. The committee has proposed shortening this period to six weeks. Members met three times over the past four months and finalized their recommendations during the third meeting.
Under the proposed plan, educational institutions would observe 175 holidays annually. However, academic and instructional days would remain fixed at 190. Private school associations across Punjab have endorsed the proposal, signaling broad support from the private education sector.
The committee noted that the growing number of holidays has affected academic performance. In many senior classes, teachers struggle to complete the course syllabus on time. As a result, students face pressure near examinations. The members believe a uniform academic calendar would bring consistency and improve outcomes.
Justice Jawad Hassan constituted the committee while hearing a writ petition at the Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench. The petition challenged the increase in holidays in Punjab’s educational institutions. The committee held its third meeting in Lahore under the chairmanship of the Secretary of Schools Education, while Special Secretary Muhammad Iqbal presided over the session.
Following the recommendations, Punjab School Education Department Special Secretary Muhammad Iqbal directed PECTA and the Director of Public Instruction for Secondary and Elementary Education to prepare a uniform academic calendar within three days.
If implemented, the proposal could redefine how the academic year unfolds across Punjab. The aim is clear: protect 190 teaching days while keeping 175 holidays within a structured and predictable calendar.
