A committee formed under the directives of the Rawalpindi Bench of the Lahore High Court has recommended a standardized academic calendar for Punjab’s schools and colleges, requiring all institutions to complete 190 teaching days each year.

The committee, which met three times over the past four months, proposed reducing summer vacations from the current two-and-a-half months to six weeks. Under the plan, schools and colleges would observe 175 holidays annually, while instructional days remain fixed at 190. Private school associations across the province have reportedly endorsed the proposal.

Punjab School Education Department Special Secretary Muhammad Iqbal has directed PECTA and the Director of Public Instruction for Secondary and Elementary Education to prepare a uniform academic calendar within three days, following the committee’s recommendations.

The committee noted that the increasing number of holidays over recent years has negatively impacted academic performance, particularly in senior classes, where syllabi are often left incomplete. Standardizing the academic calendar is intended to ensure students receive consistent instruction and timely completion of course content.

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Justice Jawad Hassan constituted the committee while hearing a writ petition at the Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench, challenging the rise in holidays at educational institutions across the province. The committee’s third meeting was held in Lahore under the chairmanship of the Secretary of School Education and presided over by Special Secretary Muhammad Iqbal.

Officials said the new academic calendar, if approved, would help improve learning outcomes, streamline school operations, and create uniformity across public and private institutions throughout Punjab.