Schools extend hours and add Saturdays to meet academic mandate

Kerala's government and aided schools will operate with extended hours and additional working Saturdays in the 2025–26 academic year, following a directive from the High Court to comply with mandated instructional requirements.
High school students will see their school day lengthened by 30 minutes, with classes starting 15 minutes earlier and ending 15 minutes later, from Monday to Thursday. Fridays will maintain the existing schedule. This adjustment aims to fulfill the Kerala Education Rules stipulation of 1,100 instructional hours annually for high schools.
To further meet these requirements, six Saturdays have been designated as working days for high school students. Upper primary students will attend classes on two additional Saturdays, while lower primary students will continue with their current schedule, as their instructional hours already meet the mandated 800 hours.
The revised academic calendar, finalised shortly before the June 2 school reopening, was developed based on recommendations from a government-appointed committee. The changes were announced during a Quality Assurance Programme meeting, which primarily included representatives from pro-CPM and CPI teacher organisations due to late invitations.
Previously, the government attempted to declare 25 Saturdays as working days to meet instructional mandates, but this move faced opposition from teachers' unions and was struck down by the High Court. The court emphasised the need for the government to ensure minimum working days and teaching hours in schools after consulting all stakeholders.
Under the new calendar, lower primary schools will have 198 teaching days, upper primary schools will have 200 teaching days, and high schools will have 204 teaching days. These adjustments are designed to meet the instructional hour requirements set by the KER and the Right to Education Act.
The decision to extend school hours and add working Saturdays has raised concerns among educators, particularly regarding logistical challenges in schools that house both upper primary and high school sections. Issues such as coordinating school transportation and managing differing schedules for students and teachers are among the challenges anticipated. Open URL