Kerala Announces Holiday For Schools On Friday
Thiruvananthapuram, 5 June 2025 — In a late decision aimed at addressing public concerns, the Kerala government has declared Friday, 6 June, as a holiday for all schools from Classes 1 to 12, as well as Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs). The announcement was made by Education Minister V. Sivankutty on Thursday afternoon, reversing an earlier government move that had sparked widespread criticism.
“It is informed that tomorrow (June 6) will be a holiday for all schools having classes from 1 to 12… ITIs will also have holiday,” the minister confirmed.
The holiday announcement follows a controversy that erupted after the government revised the official date for the Bakrid (Eid al-Adha) holiday to Saturday, 7 June, instead of Friday as initially planned. This shift came in response to the delayed sighting of the crescent moon, as determined by the Islamic lunar calendar.
Eid al-Adha, one of the holiest occasions in the Islamic calendar, is traditionally marked with prayers, feasting, and sacrifices. The day also coincides with the culmination of the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca. In Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman, Eid will be celebrated on Friday, 6 June.
Back in Kerala, the revised holiday schedule led to protests from several quarters. The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) sharply criticised the state’s initial decision to cancel the Friday holiday, with state secretary P. M. A. Salam calling it “condemnable.” He argued that the faithful deserved a break on Friday as the Arafah fasting, a significant spiritual observance, falls on that day.
The Kerala Pradesh School Teachers Association (KPSTA) also voiced concern, highlighting that students—many of whom already have Saturdays off—would be left without a proper holiday to mark the festival. The KPSTA noted that the government’s own calendar had earlier listed Friday as the holiday for Bakrid.
Several Muslim organisations and student bodies, including the IUML, INL, Kerala Muslim Jama’ath, and the Kerala Students Union (KSU), joined in expressing disappointment over the holiday shift.
