Heat effect: Govt schools extend summer break for students till cl 8

Noida: Amid heatwave conditions, govt schools in the state have extended by 10 days their summer break for students till classes 8.
Govt schools in the state were earlier supposed to open on June 18, but now, they will start physical classes on June 28. Teaching and non-teaching staff will, however, have to return to school from June 25.
For classes 9-12, govt schools will stay shut till June 30.Several private schools have also extended their vacation till the end of this month or the first week of July.
The fresh notice, issued by the education department, said students up to Class 8 would attend school from 7.30am to 10am between June 28 and 30, while regular classes up to 1pm would start from July 1. Till June 30, camps and other educational activities have to be organised on the school premises.
Teaching and non-teaching staff, the govt notice said, will have to remain present in schools from 7.30am to 1.30pm between June 25 and 27.
Praveen Sharma, president of the primary teachers’ association in the district, said, “The decision to extend the summer break was much needed, keeping in mind the health of students. However, there was no need to call the teachers four days earlier. We urge the govt to open schools for teachers too on June 28.”
In May, the education department had issued a notice, directing all primary schools to close for summer break from May 20 as a heatwave was predicted for Delhi-NCR.
Taking the cue, some private schools had also announced an early summer break, starting May 20, while many others called off all outdoor activities for students of senior classes as mercury touched 45 degrees Celsius.
Several private schools in the city have now extended their summer breaks to mitigate the impact of the intense heatwave on students and staff. “Usually, classes resume by mid-June after the vacations. But this year, we have had to extend the holidays in view of the intense heatwave. All classes will resume on July 1,” Neeraj Awasthi, principal of Modern School, said.
Delhi Public School’s Greater Noida branch will also reopen on July 1.
The heatwave spell in Delhi-NCR is likely to continue for the next four days, with the maximum temperature hovering around 45 degrees Celsius, IMD has said. An ‘orange’ alert has been issued for June 15 and 16 for heatwave conditions at many places while a ‘yellow’ alert has been placed for June 17.