THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The 2023-24 academic year will have 210 instructional days for Classes 1 to 10 with 13 Saturdays and the first five days in April 2024 being assigned as working days. The changes were made to ensure sufficient instructional hours, as the current academic year has only 192 working days.
However, Higher Secondary and Vocational Higher Secondary students will have 192 working days only in 2023-24 as both sections are able to achieve sufficient instructional hours without special arrangements. The 13 additional Saturdays and five extra days in April will not be applicable to them.
The general education department had initially proposed 220 instructional days by converting as many as 28 Saturdays, excluding second Saturdays, into working days. However, the proposal was scaled down following stiff opposition from teachers’ unions.
Speaking at the state-level inauguration of ‘Praveshanolsavam’ here on Wednesday, General Education Minister V Sivankutty said the summer vacations next year will begin on April 6 instead of April 1. He said the additional days were needed to meet the instructional hour targets stipulated in education rules.
“It has been ensured that no week has more than six continuous instructional days. Two Saturdays in March would be an exception,” said a senior official with the general education department.