The Punjab government has announced that all government schools in the province will remain closed on Saturdays in a move aimed at reducing the workload of teachers and enhancing their professional development.

This decision was made public by Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat, who said Saturdays will be reserved for teachers' training.

معزز اساتذہ اکرام کی آسانی کے لیے پنجاب کے سکولوں میں سوموار سے جمعۃالمبارک کے دن تک یومیہ تدریسی اوقات کار بڑھانے اور ہفتہ کے دن مکمل چھٹی کرنے اور اس دن کو مرحلہ وار اساتذہ کی ٹریننگ، کپیسٹی بلڈنگ اور لیسن پلاننگ کے لیے استعمال کرنے بابت اپنی رائے سے آگاہ کریں۔اساتذہ پہلے ہی…
— Rana Sikandar Hayat (@RanaSikandarH) June 24, 2024

The minister highlighted that the weekend holiday is part of a broader initiative to alleviate the heavy burden on teachers in government schools. "Teachers of government schools are burdened with work," said Rana Sikandar Hayat. "The burden of teachers of government schools has been reduced."

Starting from this week, the teaching process in Punjab's government schools will now take place from Monday to Friday. Saturdays will be reserved exclusively for teacher training sessions, allowing educators to focus on improving their teaching skills and methodologies without the pressure of regular classes.

Additionally, the minister announced plans to increase the working hours of government schools, though specific details on this adjustment have yet to be disclosed. This change aims to maximize instructional time during the weekdays, ensuring that the quality of education is not compromised despite the introduction of the Saturday holiday.