Schools demand reduction in weekly offs

LAHORE: Private school owners have demanded the resumption of physical classes on Fridays, calling for an end to the mandatory weekly “online-only” day, ARY News reported.

Stakeholders from Punjab’s schools met on Wednesday to review educational performance and administrative challenges.

During the meeting, they urged the government to abolish the Friday weekly holiday for on-campus learning, arguing that online education has failed to produce the expected results.

The meeting, chaired by the Punjab Private Schools Body Chief Qazi Naeem Anjum, included experts such as Syed Faisal Gillani, Saleem Awan, and Hassan Minhas.

Qazi Naeem Anjum stressed that maintaining high educational standards requires at least 210 days of in-person classroom teaching per year.

Participants also expressed deep concern over the delay in the publication of textbooks, which they said has wasted students’ precious time. They demanded that the government ensure next year’s books are published and distributed on time.

Additionally, private school owners urged the Lahore Board to immediately complete the process of extending school affiliations.

Education experts noted that the high number of holidays and administrative delays have made it difficult to complete the syllabus, directly impacting student results.

They concluded that reducing weekly holidays is inevitable if the current academic session is to be effective.

At the start of April, Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hyat clarified the Friday holiday policy for schools, stating that “work from home” will be implemented on Fridays instead of a full holiday.

The provincial minister confirmed that all government and private schools, colleges, and universities are permitted to hold online classes on Fridays.

He further noted that the standard two-day weekend (Saturday and Sunday) will remain unchanged.

Minister Hyat expressed gratitude for the public’s patience and cooperation, explaining that digital methods are being adopted to ensure educational activities continue without wasting students’ time.