Sindh schools, colleges to have six-day work weeks from Aug 1

Educational institutions in Pakistan's Sindh province are set to observe a six-day work week, operating from Monday to Saturday, beginning August 1. This decision applies to all public and private schools and colleges under the provincial government's administrative control.

The Sindh Education and Literacy Department and the College Education Department issued separate notifications on July 29 and July 30, respectively. These announcements supersede a previous notification from March 31, which had established a five-day work week with Saturdays and Sundays off.

The earlier decision to close institutions on Saturdays was part of austerity and fuel conservation measures adopted by the Sindh government. These measures were implemented in response to the economic repercussions of the US-Israeli war, which led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and a global fuel crunch.

The new schedule will include specific work timings for colleges. From Monday to Thursday and on Saturdays, the morning shift will run from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., while the evening shift will be from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. On Fridays, the morning shift will be shorter, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and the evening shift from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.