Sindh Relaxes School Uniform Rules Amid Winter Cold Wave

Karachi: In response to the ongoing cold wave sweeping across Sindh, including Karachi, the Sindh Education Minister has announced a relaxation of school uniform regulations to ensure the health and safety of students during the winter season.

The Additional Director of the Directorate of Private Institutions, Rafia Javed, issued a formal notification to all private schools in the province, advising them to allow flexibility in the uniform code. The notification emphasizes that students can wear warm clothing such as sweaters, blazers, jackets, coats, hats, socks, and shoes as needed to protect themselves from the cold.

Additionally, schools have been instructed to maintain a comfortable and warm environment within classrooms to ensure the safety and well-being of the students during winter. This relaxation of the uniform rules will remain in effect for the duration of the winter season.

Curriculum Reduced by 25% for 2025 Exams

In another significant development, the Sindh School Education Department announced a 25% reduction in the curriculum for the 2025 matriculation and intermediate exams. A notification issued earlier this week confirmed that students will only be tested on 75% of the regular syllabus.

This decision was made after discussions in a sub-committee meeting of the steering committee, held on November 28, and finalized by the Directorate of Curriculum Assessment and Research. The reduction aims to ease the academic load on students, allowing them more time to prepare.

Students from grades nine to twelve across various faculties—Science, Humanities, Commerce, General Group, Pre-Medical, and Pre-Engineering—will be required to focus on only 75% of the syllabus. The notification also specifies that 50% of the syllabus should be completed before the winter break, with the remaining portion covered after the holidays.

In line with this adjustment, the academic calendar has been revised. Starting from the 2025/26 session, the academic year will begin on April 1, instead of the previous August 1 start date. As part of the new schedule, matriculation exams will commence on March 15, and intermediate exams will begin on April 15, 2025.

The decision to reduce the syllabus is intended to provide students with sufficient time for preparation while aligning with the new academic timeline.