ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) has ended the Saturday holiday in educational institutions across Islamabad.
According to a notification issued on Friday, the decision will be implemented from November 30 (tomorrow), and remain in effect until February 1, 2025.
It said that students’ education had been significantly affected due to prolonged holidays and unforeseen closures. “The change has been made to ensure students receive the required instructional time and complete their syllabus on schedule”, it said.
Earlier, the Islamabad administration revised school timings for the winter season to prevent children and staff from cold weather.
As per the notification issued by the Federal Directorate of Education, the schools will remain open from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm while the timing for regular classes on Fridays would be from 8: 00 am to 12:00 pm. Subsequently, the evening shift schools will open from 2:30 pm to 6:00 pm.
The development came after the school remained closed in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, for three days due to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest.
In a separate development, Secretary of Schools Punjab Khalid Nazir Wattoo announced that schools will remain closed during winter holidays for 20 days from December 20, 2024, till January 10, 2025.
Academic circles have criticised the back-to-back interruption in the regular studies in the twin cities and highlighted difficulties for educators and students who were required to complete curriculums within a prescribed timeline for an academic year.
All Pakistan Private Schools Management Association North Punjab President Abrar Ahmed Khan also complained that the students were not being given sufficient time to complete their regular studies.
