PSA raises concern over proposed Saturday-Sunday school holidays; seeks academic impact assessment

• Before reducing a teaching day, we must first assess how much learning time our children actually receive: PSA State President Bilal Bhat
• Any change in the academic calendar must protect continuity of learning & prevent additional pressure on parents: Gen. Secy. Syed Wani
• School time is not only about syllabus; it also gives children space for sports, skills, creativity & positive engagement: Director Media Dr. Owais Mattoo
• A shorter school week must not result in greater dependence on private tuition & coaching: Secretary H.A Khan

SRINAGAR: The (Regd.) Jammu & Kashmir Private Schools Association (PSA) held a emergency meeting of its State Executive Body and district representatives to deliberate on various issues concerning school education, student welfare, academic continuity and the proposal under consideration to introduce a five-day working week in schools, with Saturday and Sunday as weekly holidays.

The meeting was chaired by PSA State President Bilal Ahmad Bhat and attended by Senior Vice President Manzoor Ahmad Rather, General Secretary (Organisation) M. Syed Wani, Director Media & Communications and District President Budgam Dr. Owais Mattoo, Secretary and District President Shopian Hilal Ahmad Khan, besides members of the State Executive Body and district presidents.

The office-bearers discussed the proposed change in detail and maintained that the matter requires a careful assessment of its academic impact before any final decision, particularly in view of Jammu & Kashmir’s distinctive academic calendar, winter and summer vacations, weather-related disruptions, public holidays, examinations and other unavoidable closures.

PSA State President Bilal Ahmad Bhat said the Association’s primary concern is the academic interest and overall welfare of students and that the present debate should not be reduced merely to whether schools should function for five or six days a week.

“Before reducing another regular teaching day, we must first assess how much meaningful and uninterrupted learning time our children actually receive during an academic year. Jammu & Kashmir has a very different academic calendar, with long seasonal breaks and periodic disruptions. Any change in the weekly schedule must therefore be examined against the total academic days and teaching hours available to our students.”

Bhat said the Association was not opposed to adequate rest, recreation or family time for children. “Student welfare is our priority, but welfare also means quality education, continuity in learning and sufficient opportunities for academic and co-curricular development. We need a balanced academic calendar that protects children from unnecessary pressure without compromising their learning.”

He said the Government should undertake a detailed assessment of the actual academic days delivered in schools before deciding on any permanent change. PSA General Secretary (Organisation) M. Syed Wani said any reduction in classroom days must be considered alongside existing academic requirements. “If the syllabus, examinations and academic expectations remain unchanged while one regular teaching day is removed every week, we must ask where the lost academic time will be recovered. The burden should not simply move from the classroom to homework, private tuition and coaching.”

Wani said increased dependence on private tuition centers could create additional financial pressure on parents. “We should not adopt a calendar change that unintentionally makes parents spend even more to compensate for reduced classroom working hours.”

He said the broader student-welfare discussion should also consider syllabus load, examination schedules, homework, school timings, transportation and dependence on tuition. “If the objective is to reduce academic stress, the entire academic ecosystem must be examined rather than focusing only on the number of weekly holidays.”

PSA Director Media & Communications Dr. Owais Mattoo said school education should be viewed in a broader context. “A school is not merely a place where children complete their syllabus. It is also where they participate in sports, debates, arts, skill-based activities, clubs, awareness programmes and other constructive engagements. These activities are an important part of a child’s development and require adequate time within the school calendar.”

Dr. Mattoo said regular school engagements also has a wider social dimension. “At a time when we are collectively working to keep children away from drugs, harmful and other negative activities, schools must have sufficient time to engage students in meaningful academic, physical, creative and social activities. Student welfare cannot be measured only by the number of holidays.”

He recalled the participation of private schools in the Nasha Mukt Jammu & Kashmir Abhiyan led by LG Manoj Sinha and other awareness initiatives, saying schools should continue to provide children with positive and purposeful avenues.

“Our effort should be to make school life more meaningful, not simply shorter. Quality teaching, sports, creativity, skills and character-building activities must all find adequate space in the academic calendar.”

PSA Secretary Hilal Ahmad Khan said the financial implications for families also need to be considered. “A reduction in school days may appear beneficial on paper, but if students are subsequently sent for additional tuition or coaching to complete academic requirements, the financial burden may ultimately fall on parents. Education policy must therefore consider the practical consequences for ordinary families.”

Khan said reforms affecting the academic calendar should be based on data and ground realities. “We should first determine how many effective instructional days our children are actually receiving and how much time is already lost because of vacations, examinations, weather conditions, emergencies and other closures. Only then can we properly assess the academic impact of another weekly holiday.”

The Association said Jammu & Kashmir already has a distinctive academic calendar, with winter and summer vacations, weather-related disruptions, government holidays, examinations and other unavoidable closures.

The PSA maintained that the proposed five-day working week should therefore be examined in the context of the actual classroom time available to students, rather than looking only at the number of weekly holidays.

The Association said the central question should be how much meaningful teaching and learning time students receive during the academic year and whether the removal of another regular teaching day could affect academic continuity.

The Association said national educational frameworks recognise the importance of adequate instructional time. Under the Right to Education Act, 2009, the statutory minimum is 200 working days for Classes I–V and 220 working days for Classes VI–VIII, along with specified minimum instructional hours.

The National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023 also provides an annual framework of 220 school-going/instruction days. The Association said these benchmarks should be kept in view while examining any proposal that would reduce regular school days in Jammu & Kashmir.

Members of the (Regd.) Private Schools Association (PSA) State Executive Body and district representatives collectively stressed that any major change in the academic calendar should be preceded by consultation with registered private school associations, teachers, parents, top educationists, JKBOSE, Directorates of School Education Department and other relevant stakeholders.

The Association said its objective is to ensure that any change in the academic calendar remains in the best interest of students and does not unintentionally create additional academic or financial pressure on children and parents.

The Association reiterated its support for the Nasha Mukt Abhiyan under the leadership of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, noting that private schools and their district units have participated in anti-drug 100-day mass awareness campaign to save youth from the drug menace. It said that, at a time when society is collectively working to protect children from drugs and other harmful influences, every school day provides an opportunity to keep students connected with education, sports, skills, creativity, awareness and positive activities.

The PSA said schools can play an important role in providing children with positive, structured and purposeful engagement. “If we want our children to remain connected with education, sports, skills, creativity and positive activities, schools must have adequate time to provide these opportunities. Academic time and constructive school activities should not be viewed as competing priorities; both are part of student development.”

The Association said a well-designed school calendar should therefore provide sufficient time for both academic learning and meaningful co-curricular engagement. The Association also appreciated the J&K Government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah & Education Minister Ms. Sakeena Itoo, recalling that the Government had already responded positively to concerns raised by private schools, students, parents and society through its decision on the November academic session. The PSA said the decision was widely welcomed and reflected the Government’s willingness to consider issues concerning the academic interests and welfare of students.

The PSA also welcomed the Jammu & Kashmir Private Universities Bill, 2026, passed by the Legislative Assembly in April, describing it as an important step towards strengthening higher-education opportunities in Jammu & Kashmir.

The Association recalled the long-standing vision of its Founding President Private Schools Asscoition Jammu & Kashmir (PSAJK)  and Chief Patron, Dr. G.N. Var, for expanding and strengthening educational opportunities in the region and said it appreciates and supports constructive education reforms being undertaken by the J&K Government.

The office-bearers maintained that the objective should not simply be to increase or decrease the number of school days. “The real objective must be to ensure that every academic day available to our children is meaningful, productive and contributes to their learning, skills, character and overall development.”

The PSA appealed to the J&K Government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Education Minister Ms. Sakeena Itoo and all Members of the J&K Legislative Assembly to conduct a comprehensive academic impact assessment covering actual academic days, teaching hours, syllabus requirements, examination schedules, vacations, weather-related closures and the possible impact of reduced classroom time on dependence on private tuition centers before taking any final decision.

The Association said it has full faith in the education-friendly approach of the J&K Government and hoped that the matter would be examined objectively and in consultation with all stakeholders.

The PSA reiterated its commitment to working constructively with the Government, teachers, parents, educationists and other stakeholders for quality, affordable, inclusive, skill-oriented and student-centred education in Jammu & Kashmir.