Schools reopen Sunday after 37-day break
Classes at nearly all educational institutions across the country are set to resume on Sunday (29 March) after a prolonged 37-day closure caused by Ramadan, Eid-ul-Fitr, Independence Day holidays and related adjustments in the academic calendar.
Sources at the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education confirmed that the long break officially ended on Thursday. However, due to the weekly holidays on Friday and Saturday, regular classes will begin from Sunday in schools, colleges, madrasas and technical institutions.
Officials from both ministries said academic activities in the first three months of the year were significantly disrupted due to elections, Ramadan and Eid holidays, resulting in learning gaps among students. To address this, institutions have been instructed to resume full-scale classroom teaching immediately after the holidays.
According to the annual holiday list and academic calendar, the Ramadan and Eid holidays were originally scheduled to begin on 8 March. However, following a writ petition filed by guardians and a subsequent High Court order, the new government decided to close government primary schools from 19 February, bringing forward the holiday by 17 days.
Under the revised holiday schedule, all primary and secondary schools, madrasas, colleges and technical institutions remained closed from 19 February to 26 March.
To reduce learning gaps in primary education, the government has taken an additional step by cancelling the first 10 weekly Saturday holidays after Eid in government primary schools.
The Directorate of Primary Education has issued instructions in this regard, aiming to recover lost classroom time and ensure completion of the academic syllabus.
Education officials said the move is intended to accelerate teaching activities and help students catch up on missed lessons following the extended closure.
However, no decision has yet been taken to cancel Saturday weekly holidays in government and private secondary schools.
The Ministry of Education is still reviewing the matter and may take a decision later depending on academic needs and institutional capacity.
Educationists say prolonged closures often affect students’ learning continuity, particularly in primary schools, where regular classroom interaction is crucial for foundational learning. They emphasised the need for strict monitoring of attendance and effective classroom management to ensure that the lost time is properly recovered.
Officials expressed hope that with the resumption of regular classes from Sunday and the cancellation of some weekly holidays in primary schools, academic activities would return to normal and learning gaps would gradually be reduced in the coming months.
