Bengal govt prepones summer vacation in state-run schools to April 22

Kolkata: The Education department on Thursday announced the preponement of the summer vacation in government and government-aided schools with effect from April 22 considering the prevailing heat wave conditions. The vacation was scheduled to start on May 6.

Schools in the hill areas of Darjeeling and Kalimpong will, however, not come under this preponement and the academic schedule will continue until further orders.

The teaching and non-teaching staff will also remain on leave as a special case during the period or till school reopens.

The department has directed the teaching / non-teaching staff at schools to make suitable arrangements for conducting extra classes after the reopening of schools to make up for the loss due to the preponement of the summer vacation, considering the interest of the students.

Sources in the School Education department said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee spoke with senior officials of the department on Wednesday regarding preponement of the summer vacation in the wake of the heat wave alert. The decision was taken after consultation with her.

It is learnt that the officials of the department have also urged the private schools affiliated to the CBSE board and the ICSE council to do the needful in this regard considering the prevailing extreme heat conditions. Several private schools too are mulling to bring forward summer holidays.

“We are likely to prepone the summer holidays but discussions are on about how we can compensate for the loss of academics. Holding online classes may be an option,” a spokesperson of a CBSE-affiliated school in south Kolkata said.

Several private schools are planning to include Saturdays to make up for what they will miss during the longer summer break.

A heat wave warning was issued for the districts of South Bengal during April 17-21. Districts named are East and West Midnapore, East and West Burdwan, Bankura and Hooghly.

The MeT Office warned of a moderate health concern for vulnerable people, including infants, elderly people with chronic diseases and people exposed to the sun for prolonged periods or doing heavy work. It advised avoiding prolonged heat exposure and outside work from 11 am to 4 pm.