30 minutes more study hours; high schools with six Saturdays as working days; new academic year begins tomorrow

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The new academic year begins tomorrow with a new timetable. High school classes will be extended by 15 minutes each in the morning and afternoon. Classes will begin at 9.45 am and end at 4.15 pm. Minister V. Sivankutty signed the order regarding the school academic calendar.

Six Saturdays will be working days for high schools to ensure 1100 hours of study time. Saturday classes will be held in weeks when there are no six consecutive working days. This ensures 204 working days. Two Saturday classes will be arranged to ensure 1000 hours of study in UP classes.

Higher secondary classes currently run from 9 am to 4.45 pm. The five-member committee appointed by the government regarding the educational calendar had recommended that the study time in high school classes be increased by half an hour every day except Friday. The committee also opposed the move to make 25 Saturdays workdays.

Schools concerned

Schools say changing the timetable will disrupt operations. Two timetables will be difficult for the two sections in schools where classes one to twelve function together and where UP and high schools are together. The complaint is that school assembly, prayer, and transportation facilities will be disrupted.