LAHORE – Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat has revealed that the provincial government is considering shortening summer vacations by 15 to 20 days this year to overcome gaps in education.
The minister has also proposed significant changes to the academic calendar aimed at improving education quality and ensuring timely completion of the syllabus.
The proposed measures are designed to increase the number of teaching days in the academic year from the current minimum of 180 to around 190 days, reducing educational loss for students.
The minister said excessive holidays currently reduce the actual instructional time. To address this, the government is considering reducing summer vacations by 15 to 20 days and winter vacations by 5 to 6 days.
In addition, schools may remain open on alternate Saturdays to further organize the academic session effectively.
A major development is the plan to create separate academic calendars for Matric and O/A Level students, allowing study schedules to align with international exam timelines.
These steps come in the aftermath of prolonged school closures in March 2026 due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and an energy crisis, with the government now taking measures to accelerate teaching and learning.
