Kerala extends school hours for Classes 8-10; introduces lessons on Governor’s role in constitution

Kerala high school students of Classes 8 to 10 will now spend an extra 15 minutes in the morning and another 15 minutes in the afternoon on each working day — except Fridays. The step was taken to help schools reach the required 1,100 instructional hours per year, Kerala general education minister V Sivankutty said, while unveiling the new academic calendar 2025-26.

Kerala aimed for 220 working days last year, however, as per the revised calendar, Sivankutty said that the changes will apply across 204 working days, with six Saturdays added as school days for high school students.

This drew strong criticism from the Muslim outfits, including Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama, a prominent body of Sunni clerics, who argued that the extended hours will affect religious education.

However, the move follows the Kerala High Court order in August 2024 that ruled that the previously issued academic calendar, which included 25 working Saturdays – was not legally valid as it lacked approval from the state government.

The minister in a recent X post said that “the revised curriculum of Kerala upholds constitutional values, with focus on teaching students the Governor’s constitutional role amid rising misuse. Content will be added in school textbooks this year”.

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Kerala new academic calendar 2025

Defending the additional instructional hours in schools, he pointed out that other states, such as Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh, already have more working days. Moreover, CBSE and ICSE schools in Kerala also follow longer academic schedules than state-run schools.

"When we look at all the numbers, it raises a genuine doubt whether there is a conspiracy from some quarters to destroy Kerala's General Education Department, which is being seen as a model at the national level and ranks second in the country," Sivankutty said.

The new calendar includes anti-drug campaigns, arts and sports festivals, activities for differently-abled students, and scholarships, aiming to build a strong and inclusive public education system. The academic year will have 198 working days for classes 1-4, 200 for classes 5-7, and 204 for classes 8-10, Sivankutty said.

(With inputs from PTI)