Saturday no longer holiday for schoolchildren

Islamabad : The Federal Directorate of Education has announced that all educational institutions functioning in Islamabad under its authority will now observe Saturday as a working day.

Only Sunday will be a designated holiday, according to it.

This change, effective from today (Saturday) to February 1, 2025, is intended to make up for academic losses caused by the closure of schools and colleges in the federal capital due to street protests by the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf this month. Officials said those interruptions caused significant learning loss, prompting the FDE to implement a six-day workweek on a temporary basis.

They said all FDE-affiliated schools and colleges, both urban and rural, were required to follow the new schedule within the previously set official hours to ensure that students meet their academic goals for the year.

Earlier, school timings were revised for winter to protect children and staff from cold weather.

According to the FDE notification, schools will operate from 8:30am to 2:30pm, with Friday classes scheduled from 8am to 12pm. Evening shift schools will run from 2:30pm to 6pm.