BHUBANESWAR: With the Met office predicting relief from the relentless heat in next two to three days, the state government on Thursday announced to reopen all schools for Class I to XII from Friday. However, the schools will have morning classes on the first day and run normally from June 22 onwards.
The Information and Public Relations department said all schools will reopen and function from 6.30 am to 10.30 am on Friday. Normal classes will resume from June 22. The government announcement came after School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond told mediapersons that a decision on reopening and timing of schools will be reviewed in view of the prevailing weather.
Due to a harsh summer and prolonged heatwave, the state government had preponed summer vacation for schools to April 21 this year. Though schools were scheduled to reopen from June 18, the government asked collectors to take a decision in this regard considering the weather of their respective districts in view of the prevailing hot and humid conditions.
Accordingly, collectors of Ganjam, Bhadrak, Bargarh, Sundargarh, Sonepur and Sambalpur had announced closure of schools in their districts till June 20. In Balasore and Kendrapara, schools remained closed on June 18 and reopened the next day. Collectors of Khurda, Cuttack, Deogarh, Jagatsinghpur, Angul and Puri had decided to allow schools to reopen and run from 6.30 am to 10.30 am till June 20.