VIJAYAWADA: Education Minister N Lokesh released the 2024-25 academic calendar for primary and high schools in the State on Monday. In this new academic year, schools will operate for 232 days with 83 holidays.
High schools will from 9 am to 5 pm and primary schools from 9 am to 4.30 pm. The last period will be optional for sports, and half-day classes will be from 7:45 am to 12:30 pm.
Both primary and high schools have 315 total days, including 232 working days and 83 holidays. For general schools, holidays include Dasara from October 4 to 13, Christmas on December 25, and Pongal from January 10 to January 19. Christian minority institutions will have holidays for Dasara from October 4 to 13, Christmas from December 22 to December 29, and Pongal from January 11 to January 15.
Optional and local holidays can be availed based on school-level decisions and government orders.
For primary school students, the academic calendar includes activities to enhance learning, such as daily mathematical tables drilling, oral mathematics practice, and cultural drills. ‘No Bag Day’ activities for Classes I and II, will include paper cutting, clay modelling, drawing, singing, dancing, and gardening.
Good handwriting practice, art and cultural activities, English Language Lab sessions using the Google Read Along app, and performance activities like reciting poems and narrating stories will also be included. For high school students, the first period will focus on basic skills like reading, writing, and arithmetic for Classes III to VII. The last period of each week will be for remedial teaching. Environmental Education will be taught by specific teachers for different classes.
Virtual and digital periods will be treated as regular periods. Schools with Atal Tinkering Labs will allocate two consecutive periods per week from science periods, with the physical science teacher as the nodal teacher. All physical directors and physical education teachers were instructed to follow the guidelines.
No political signs on training material: Lokesh
Education Minister Nara Lokesh emphasised that the State government aims to keep schools above politics, with no political interference allowed. The minister clarified that training materials should not include the minister’s message, photos, or political party colours