The discussion around making Saturday a weekly holiday in schools across Jammu and Kashmir has made me think about a bigger question. Should schools work for five days or six? From what I have observed, many parents are not comfortable with losing another regular teaching day. I can understand their concern. For most parents, school is not just about keeping children busy. It is where the foundation of their future is built.
But I think we are looking at the question from the wrong angle.
The real question should be: how much are students actually learning during the days they spend in school?
A random calculation that caught my attention counted around 90 days of winter vacation, 20 days of summer vacation, 22 gazetted holidays and 72 Saturdays and Sundays. It arrived at 204 days, leaving 161 days out of 365. This is not an official calculation because holidays can overlap and academic calendars differ. Still, it made me think about how effectively we are using the limited time available for education.
As an engineering and technology student, I have a slightly different perspective on this. I am not a teacher, but I have gone through the schooling system and then spent years in technical and engineering education. One thing I have realised is that the early years of schooling matter far more than we sometimes understand.
School is where the foundation is built.
Before a student learns programming, artificial intelligence or engineering, they first need to learn how to read, understand, calculate, communicate, question and think. These basic abilities become the foundation for almost everything that comes later. If the foundation is weak, students often struggle when the subjects become more difficult.
That is why I believe our focus should not simply be on increasing or decreasing school days. We should focus on making those days more meaningful.
A student can attend school six days a week and still learn very little if the entire focus is on completing chapters, memorising answers and preparing for the next examination. At the same time, five well-planned days can be productive if students receive proper teaching, sufficient instructional time and opportunities to understand concepts.
For me, education should move from measuring "time spent in school" to measuring "learning achieved in school."
This matters even more today. Students are not preparing only for school examinations. They will eventually face entrance examinations, competitive examinations, higher education and a
highly competitive job market. Strong fundamentals in mathematics, language, reasoning and problem-solving can make a significant difference later.
As someone from the technology field, I see this clearly. Today, a student can open a phone and find thousands of lectures, books and tutorials. Artificial intelligence can explain a difficult topic within seconds. But technology cannot replace the ability to think and understand. In fact, when information becomes easily available, the ability to analyse and use that information becomes even more important.
At the same time, I do not think students should be treated like machines. They need rest. They need time with their families, sports, hobbies and life outside textbooks. More classroom hours do not automatically mean better education.
So I am not against a Saturday holiday simply because it is another holiday. My concern is what happens to learning after that change.
If Saturday becomes a weekly holiday, the authorities should look at the entire academic calendar and ensure that students still receive sufficient instructional time. Jammu and Kashmir already has long winter breaks and weather-related disruptions, particularly in the Kashmir Valley. We should therefore make decisions based on the complete academic year rather than looking at one day in isolation.
I also believe the same standards should apply to both government and private schools. If the five-day system is introduced, private schools should not compensate by overloading students with homework, coaching or extra classes at home. Government schools should also ensure that fewer working days do not mean weaker learning.
This could actually be an opportunity to rethink our education system.
Instead of asking students to sit in classrooms for more hours, we should ask whether those hours are being used properly. More practical activities, reading, problem-solving, projects and individual attention could make education more meaningful than simply adding another classroom day.
Technology can help here too. Schools can use digital libraries, educational platforms and interactive learning tools to supplement classroom teaching. But technology should support teachers, not replace them.
As an engineering and technology student, I have learned one simple lesson: understanding a concept is far more useful than memorising it for an examination. I wish this principle became stronger at the school level.
Our children should not spend their early years only learning how to pass the next exam. They should learn how to think, question and learn independently.
So, if Saturday becomes a holiday, I would not judge the decision by counting the number of holidays. I would look at the results.
Are students learning better?
Are teachers able to complete the curriculum properly? Are students less stressed without falling behind?
Are their foundations becoming stronger? These are the questions that should matter.
In my view, education should optimise learning, not attendance.
Give children time to learn. Give them time to rest. Give teachers enough time to teach properly. And use technology to make learning better, not simply to make education look modern.
Because the success of a school should not be measured by how many days a child sits inside its classroom.
It should be measured by how much stronger the child's mind becomes because of those days.

Email:--------------------- majidqurashi958@gmail.com