Half-day schools in Telangana to begin March 15 for 2024-2025
Hyderabad: The Telangana Government has announced that schools will operate on a half-day schedule for the academic year 2024-2025. According to a notification from the Director of School Education, all schools in the state, including Primary, Upper Primary, and High Schools under Government, Government Aided, and Private managements, will follow the new schedule starting March 15, 2025, until the last working day, April 23, 2025.
During this period, schools will function from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with Mid-Day Meals provided at 12:30 p.m. Special classes will continue for Class X students in preparation for the SSC Public Examination in March 2025. Schools with SSC examination centers will operate from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The Regional Joint Directors of School Education and District Educational Officers have been instructed to ensure the implementation of these new timings in all schools within their jurisdiction.
In a separate development, the Telangana government had earlier announced half-day school timings for Urdu medium schools, Urdu medium sections of parallel medium schools, and Urdu medium sections of DIETs in the state in view of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Starting from March 2, 2025, until April 1, 2025, school hours for these schools have been adjusted to 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
This decision was made following requests from teachers in these schools to accommodate the fasting and prayer schedules of Muslim students and staff during Ramadan. The request was taken up by TMREIS Vice-Chairman and President Mohammed Faheemuddin Qureshi with the state government.
Additionally, the government has granted permission for all government employees, including teachers, contract staff, outsourcing workers, and employees of boards, corporations, and public sector units, to leave work one hour early during Ramadan. This early leave will be effective from March 2, 2025, to March 31, 2025, allowing employees to attend prayers, except in cases where their presence is required due to work exigencies.
Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is a time for fasting, reflection, and congregational prayers for Muslims. Fasting from dawn to sunset is obligatory for all adult Muslims, except those with certain exemptions such as illness or pregnancy. The daily fast is broken at sunset with a meal called iftar, following the pre-dawn meal, suhur.
