Pakistan Ministry of Education Issues Directives Mandating Four-Day Workweek for All Private Schools
ISLAMABAD: The Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA) announced on Thursday that all private schools in the capital will now follow a four-day workweek.
The notification, issued by the authority under the Pakistan Ministry of Education, stated that the move is part of government efforts to promote austerity and conserve fuel.
“…it is hereby notified that all Private Educational Institutions (PEIs) operating within the Islamabad Capital Territory shall observe a four-day workweek (Monday to Thursday) for on-campus academic activities, with immediate effect and until further orders,” the notification read.
In Punjab, schools will continue to remain closed on Fridays. Both government and private institutions will operate from Monday to Thursday, with Fridays designated as a holiday.
Educational institutions across the province reopened on April 1 after a 22-day closure from March 10-31, following federal fuel conservation measures amid rising global oil prices linked to the US-Israel conflict with Iran.
During the closure, schools continued online classes and conducted examinations as scheduled.
Under the new schedule issued by the Punjab Education Department, school hours from Monday to Thursday will run from 8:00 AM to 1:30 PM.
For double-shift schools, the first shift will run from 8:00 AM to 12:30 PM, while the second shift will operate from 1:00 PM to 5:30 PM.
The Sindh government also announced the reopening of educational institutions a day earlier. Sharjeel Inam Memon confirmed that physical classes at all schools, colleges, and universities across the province would resume from April 1.
Speaking at a press conference in Karachi, Memon stated that in-person teaching would replace online classes, while all educational institutions would remain closed on Saturdays.
Sardar Ali Shah added that the new academic year in Sindh would start on April 1, with schools observing a two-day weekend on Saturday and Sunday.
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