LAHORE – Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat announced that all educational institutions in the province will also observe a weekly holiday on Saturdays along with Sundays.
He stated that the “Smart and Reduced” syllabus for matriculation has been implemented, and the team is working on finalizing the 11th-grade syllabus, which will be announced by next week.
The updated syllabus for 9th-grade computer books has been reduced from 270 pages to 160 pages.
The minister emphasized that the smart syllabus aims to reduce students’ academic burden by removing unnecessary content.
A committee comprising public and private sector members has been formed to finalize the academic calendar, which will be completed and notified by December 1.
Earlier, the government of Punjab announced new school timings, with classes now beginning at 8:45am, as parts of region especially Lahore, Faisalabad and other cities are facing alarming high air pollution, with AQI being recorded at over 500.
Lahore has been ranked the world’s most polluted city for three consecutive days, as the Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 412, prompting health warnings.
For school student, winter school timings is from 8:45am to 1:30pm, the education minister announced on Sunday.
Punjab School Education Department announced revised winter working hours for teachers, taking effect from Monday, 27 October 2025, until 15 April 2026.
Teachers will report 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM from Monday to Thursday, with Friday hours reduced to 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM.
