Voice of Millions

Kerala’s Education Department is set to roll out extended school hours and working Saturdays for high school students starting next academic year. This significant calendar revision is part of the state’s effort to comply with a High Court directive mandating a minimum of 1,100 instructional hours annually.

⏰ What’s Changing?

• 15 extra minutes will be added to both the morning and evening sessions.

• 6 Saturdays will now be working days for students in high schools and higher secondary schools.

• The changes will help the state meet academic hour requirements set by national education benchmarks.

🧑‍🏫 Why the Shift?

According to Education Minister V. Sivankutty, the changes are part of a broader plan to:

• Ensure learning continuity post-pandemic

• Align with national curriculum standards

• Avoid compressing syllabi or overburdening students during exam seasons

🧕 Protests and Opposition

Despite the government’s intentions, several Muslim organizations—including Samastha and IUML—have raised strong objections. Their primary concerns:

• Disruption of Madrassa schedules

• Overburdening students with already tight routines

• Lack of stakeholder consultation

These groups argue the new timetable marginalizes religious education and places undue stress on students from specific communities.

🧭 What’s Next?

While the government shows no signs of rolling back the policy, it is expected to engage in discussions with dissenting groups in the coming weeks. The Education Department may also issue clarity guidelines to help schools implement the new hours without compromising extracurriculars or religious study.

📌 Bottom Line

This policy marks a decisive step toward academic standardization, but it also opens up a larger debate on balancing educational reform with Kerala’s social and religious fabric. As the academic year nears, all eyes are on how schools, students, and communities adapt.