There is good news for lakhs of students studying in government schools across Bihar.
The state Education Department has decided to bring back the half-day school system on Saturdays.
After receiving final approval, the department has issued a fresh order changing the school timetable.
Schools will continue to follow the regular schedule from Monday to Friday, but students will attend school for only half a day on Saturday.
Bihar Government Schools to Follow Half-Day System on Saturday
According to the new directive issued by Director of Secondary Education Sajjan R., the half-day system will apply to primary, secondary and higher secondary government schools across Bihar.
The department has partially amended its earlier order dated December 12, 2025.
The change has been introduced to better organise school hours and provide time for special academic and other activities on Saturdays.
Check the New School Timings
Under the revised timetable, government schools will operate from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm from Monday to Friday.
On Saturday, however, schools will operate only from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm.
Students from Classes 1 to 8 are likely to benefit the most from the shorter Saturday schedule.
In primary and middle schools, teaching and other scheduled activities will continue only until 12:00 pm on Saturday.
After that, students will receive their mid-day meal between 12:00 pm and 12:40 pm.
Once the meal is over, students will be allowed to leave for home.
Teachers Will Continue Working After Students Leave
While students will get an early holiday on Saturday, teachers will continue to have additional responsibilities.
As per the department’s order, teachers will have to spend one hour each day on academic and administrative work.
This may include preparing lesson plans for the next day and the upcoming week, assessing students, managing laboratories and taking additional classes whenever required.
The revised timetable is expected to provide students with shorter school hours on Saturdays while allowing teachers to use the additional time for planning and other academic work.
