ISLAMABAD: The Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) has decided to extend the ongoing Covid-19-hit academic session till July instead of March with new classes to commence from Aug 2.

Through a notification dated Jan 28, the FDE has intimated its 423 educational institutions about the change in the academic calendar.

The notification said the summer break this year would start from July 2 and continue till July 31, adding the centralised annual examinations for classes five to eight will be held between May 18 and May 31. Results would be announced on June 30.

The directive further said the in-house annual exams for classes one to seven conducted by the schools will be held from June 1 to 15 and their results would be announced on July 1.

New classes in all 423 educational institutions to begin from Aug 2, says FDE

The notification said Islamic, gazetted and national holidays will be observed as per moonsighting and government decisions.

However, the given dates are tentative and subject to a revision at any time in compliance with the decisions of the federal government.

Talking to Dawn, a senior official of the FDE said: “The current session has been extended to meet the time loss of students due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This year, the duration of summer vacation has been reduced so that the next academic session can be started at the earliest.”

In the new academic session, students from classes one to five will receive textbooks under the Single National Curriculum (SNC) as the government wants to introduce the SNC-based syllabus throughout the country, he added.

The current academic session saw disturbances because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Schools and colleges remained close from March to September and then again from November. Last week, classes nine to 12 were reopened while schools from class I to 8 and higher educational institutions are going to be reopened from Feb 1.

Sources said from the upcoming academic session, students at the primary level will be taught under new Single National Curriculum (SNC). The Ministry of Federal Education wants to introduce SNC-based syllabus in all private and public schools, including seminaries, across the country.

Sources in the ministry said there were certain chances that SNC-based syllabus will be introduced at the centre, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Bolochistan where PTI and its allies are in government.

It would be premature to say whether Sindh would adopt the SNC or not, as the provincial government has raised some objections, the sources said.

Talking about Islamabad-based schools, the sources said books are being published in accordance with the SNC and from the upcoming academic session, all primary students will be provided the new textbooks.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2021