HYDERABAD: With the State government extending the summer vacation for all State-run, aided, unaided and private schools by another 11 days, because of the prevailing heat wave conditions, the private school managements are demanding that the academic calendar for the schools should be revised and the current session should be extended in 2020 to ensure that these vacation days are compensated for.
“Since a very long time, we have been demanding that the academic session for the school should be changed to April 23 to July 12 of next year. In April, even though temperatures are high, students just have to spend two-three hours in school since exams take place during that time and even if classes would go on, it will only be half day for the students. After April, summer vacations start and by the time schools reopen monsoon sets in, explained S Madhusudhan Reddy, president Telangana Recognised Schools Management Association. (TRSMA). Private schools also expressed the concern that having Saturdays as full working days would not suffice. “For a day or two, we can adjust it with Saturdays, but for these many days, it is a must to compensated by extending the working days in the academic session,” he said.
The demand for revising the academic calendar is also resonating among government school teachers. Chava Ravi, general secretary of Telangana State United Teachers Federation, said that teachers would have to put in additional effort to ensure that syllabus competes on time. “Local public holidays should also be cut down,” he demanded.
Meanwhile, many parents have expressed relief with the prevailing heat wave conditions. However, parents of CBSE and corporate school-going children are apprehensive that the schools will follow the direction of the education department. So far, schools have not issued any circular regarding the change in the school reopening date. This year the temperatures have risen sharply with the hottest day recorded till now was 43.3 degree in the city and 46.3 in certain districts.
Allegations are also rife that several corporate schools have already commenced classes. In fact, principal of one such school in DD Colony, Hyderabad, has issued notice to its students directing them to attend school from Saturday.
‘Authorities should ensure schools don’t flout rules’
“Despite the govt memo, the school has started classes, The decision to extend summer vacation is in the interest of the students, but the authorities need to ensure that schools are not flouting the rules,” said Achyuta Rao, president of Balala Hakula Sangham