BY INDY MAEALASIA

The Public Expenditure Committee (PEC) has called on the Ministry of Education and Human
Resources Development (MEHRD) to ensure that all schools, particularly those in rural areas
stick to the official 198-day academic calendar.

The call comes after the Ministry revealed that rural schools continue to underperform compared
to their urban counterparts in recent national examinations.

Appearing before the committee, Education Permanent Secretary Franco Rodie explained that
the Ministry regularly issues school calendars to Education Providers (EPs) and school principals
to guide annual planning, with the expectation that all schools follow the academic schedule
closely.

Rodie noted that schools seeking early closures or breaks for specific events are required to
notify their respective EPs in advance.

PEC member and Opposition Leader Matthew Wale stressed the need for the Ministry to tighten
enforcement in this area, suggesting that inconsistent adherence to the school calendar may also
be one of the contributing factors to the poor academic performance in rural schools.

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