Backing the proposed Saturday-Sunday break, Mirwaiz says students need relief from academic pressure and time for family, sports and community activities.

Aqzar Raheel 

Srinagar, Sept 20(KNZ/TMJ): Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir Dr Moulvi Umar Farooq has strongly backed the reported proposal for a five-day school week in Jammu and Kashmir, saying students should get Saturdays and Sundays off to ease academic pressure and provide them time for family, sports and community activities.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a Seerat programme at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, Mirwaiz said he supported the proposal and urged the government to take it forward.

“I believe this is absolutely the right decision. I support it 100 per cent. We feel that children should get at least two days off,” he said.

Mirwaiz argued that the education system should not be focused solely on completing the syllabus, saying the overall development of children also requires time outside the classroom.

“Just focusing on education and completing the syllabus should not be our only concern,” he said, adding that children need time with their families, opportunities for sports and space to participate in community activities.

He said students were already facing significant academic pressure, with schoolwork often followed by tuition and additional classes.

“There is so much pressure on them—the syllabus has to be completed, then they have to attend tuition and then go to the teacher for additional classes,” Mirwaiz said.

A two-day weekend, he said, would allow children to step away from the routine of academic work and return to school on Monday with a “fresh mind”.

Mirwaiz also pointed to international practices, saying two-day weekends were already followed in many parts of the world and that some European countries had introduced three-day weekends.

He urged the government to announce Saturday and Sunday as holidays for schools, describing the move as an initiative that could give students greater space for rest, recreation and social engagement.

“The government should take this process forward and announce two days of holidays so that children can come to school on Monday with a fresh mind,” he said.(KNZ/TMJ)