BHUBANESWAR: Amid the prevailing hot and humid conditions, the state government on Monday said the decision on reopening of schools will be taken by collectors keeping in view the prevailing weather in their respective districts.
A direction to this effect was issued by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond said, “After summer vacation, schools in the state are scheduled to reopen from June 18. However, the heatwave is still persisting in some parts. Accordingly, the collectors have been asked to take a decision on reopening of schools or change in timing for Class I to XII in all government, aided and private schools taking the weather conditions of their districts into consideration.”
In districts where the weather is favourable, the minister said, collectors will allow the schools to run from 6.30 am to 10.30 am.
Meanwhile, acting on the government order, Ganjam, Bhadrak, Bargarh, Sundargarh, Sonepur and Sambalpur districts have announced the closure of schools till June 20.
In Balasore and Kendrapara, schools will remain closed on Tuesday and reopen the next day. In Nayagarh and Mayurbhanj, schools will be closed on June 18 and 19, while there will be morning classes from June 20 to 22. Similarly, collectors of Khurda, Cuttack, Deogarh, Jagatsinghpur, Angul and Puri have decided to allow schools to reopen and run from 6.30 am to 10.30 am till June 20.
In Nabarangpur, Kalahandi and Keonjhar, schools will reopen from Tuesday with morning classes till June 22. With the IMD forecast suggesting an improvement in existing weather conditions in the next three to four days after the advancement of the monsoon, sources said the state government may take a fresh decision regarding school timings after June 21.