The Sindh Education Department has officially revoked the four-day school week, ordering all public and private educational institutions to resume a five-day schedule effective immediately.
The notification, issued Tuesday, ends a temporary policy that had been in place to manage energy consumption and fuel costs. Schools and colleges across the province are now required to operate from Monday to Friday, returning to the standard academic calendar that existed prior to the energy-saving measures.
For students and teachers, the shift means a return to the pre-crisis routine. The department’s decision comes as districts report a need to catch up on the academic syllabus, which administrators claim suffered under the truncated schedule.
“The academic loss was becoming difficult to justify,” said a senior official within the provincial education ministry. “We weighed the energy concerns against the students’ long-term learning outcomes, and the five-day week won out.”
Not everyone is convinced the transition will be seamless. Teacher unions have already flagged concerns regarding the condition of school facilities. With the summer heat persisting in many parts of the province, they argue that the infrastructure—specifically electricity supply and classroom ventilation—remains inadequate for the increased frequency of operation.
Despite these concerns, the directive is firm. Private school associations have been instructed to comply, warning that any institution caught deviating from the five-day mandate will face disciplinary action.
The move signals a broader trend of provincial departments unwinding the austerity measures introduced during the height of the national fuel crisis. Whether this return to normalcy will be matched by a boost in educational performance remains the primary test for the Sindh government as the new academic term picks up pace.
