-Mita Mukherjee

The summer vacation in government and government-aided schools in West Bengal has been extended till June 26 “due to extreme heat wave conditions” prevailing in the state, the school education department announced on Monday.

The decision has been taken in view of reports of a few death cases due to heat and humidity received by the government, the education department said. 

Three pilgrims died due to heat at a religious function at Panihati in the northern fringe of Kolkata on Sunday. According to the government order issued today the vacation has been extended considering the safety and security of the students.

The schools in the hill districts of Darjeeling and Kalimpong are exempt from the order.

The summer vacation in schools in Bengal usually starts from the third week of May. But this time the summer vacation was advanced and started early, from May 2 in view of the heat spell prevailing in the state at that time. Most schools were scheduled to reopen after the vacation this week.

The government memo addressed to the presidents of the state secondary and primary boards said: “ In continuation to this office No. 146-SSe/2022 dt 27/4/2022 with regard to declaring summer vacation in the schools due to extreme heat wave conditions, as reports of a few death cases due to heat and humidity have been received, the competent authority has decided  to extend the summer vacation till 26^th June, 2022 or until further instruction whichever is earlier except for the schools in the hilly areas of the Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts wherein existing academic schedule may continue until further order….”

A copy of the memo was also sent to the heads of the Delhi-based ICSE and CBSE boards that affiliates most of the private schools in Bengal. But the order did not mention that the decision is binding on private schools. The same memo has also been sent to the principals of all private schools, a senior official of the school education department said.

Many private schools said they have received the memo but they  have not taken any decision on extending the vacation. Some of them said that since the decision is not binding on private schools there will be no change in the dates for reopening the schools and their institutions will resume offline classes as per the original schedule.

 The two La Martiniere schools in Kolkata affiliated with the Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) are scheduled to reopen tomorrow.

Supriya Dhar, secretary of two La Martiniere schools said: “ Our two schools will reopen tomorrow. We have not taken any decision as of now regarding extension of the summer vacation.”

St James’ School, also affiliated with the CISCE will reopen as per schedule on June 15, sources said.

Krishna Damani, trustee of South Point School, said a meeting between the officials of the school will be held this afternoon to decide whether the summer vacation will be extended or not.

The junior section of the school is scheduled to reopen after the summer vacation on Wednesday.

The temperature in most parts of Bengal had been hovering around 35 degrees Celsius over the past few days. Though monsoon has arrived in North Bengal, it is yet to reach Kolkata and South Bengal.

Also Read: Karnataka: Summer vacation shortened, schools start academic year on May 16