BHUBANESWAR : The state government on Thursday asked all district education officers (DEOs) to ensure that the summer vacation order issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) a fortnight back, is strictly followed by the private schools.
In a letter to all DEOs, additional secretary of School and Mass Education (SME) department, Durga Prasad Mohapatra stated that though the state government has issued summer vacation notice for all schools on April 22, report regarding some private schools defying the order has been received by the department. He asked the DEOs to keep a close watch and ensure that the summer vacation order is strictly followed by all schools of the state.
A section of parents, however, wanted to know why the SME department has failed to cite what action will be initiated against the schools failing to comply with the order. They stated that this was not the first time that the schools, especially private ones, have been asked to follow the summer vacation order in the state.
A group of parents had recently alleged that some private schools in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack have been keeping their campuses open and holding classes despite the government’s directive on closure of schools due to heatwave. They had also claimed that the schools had collected consent forms from students for holding offline classes.
Taking it into consideration, R&DM minister Suresh Pujari had on April 25 warned that schools or colleges found operating in violation of the SOP will face strict disciplinary action. Odisha Parents’ Federation members alleged that though some private schools have been defying the order despite the warning, the SME department is silent on the matter.