Education | The Indian Express
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday announced that summer vacations in West Bengal schools will begin earlier than originally scheduled, in response to the rising temperatures across the state. Speaking to the media at the state secretariat, Nabanna, Banerjee stated that the Education Department will issue a formal notification advancing the start of the summer break to April 30, 2025, for primary, secondary, and higher secondary schools.
Typically, summer holidays commence in the second week of May, with the academic calendar initially marking May 9 as the starting date this year. However, the decision to reschedule has been taken as a precautionary measure due to the ongoing heatwave-like conditions in several districts.
Banerjee also noted that with Sundays and other holidays included, students will get approximately 12 to 13 days off before the break officially begins. She added that the Education Department will soon release detailed guidelines on how schools should implement the revised schedule.
Temperature rise: What the IMD has said
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that Kolkata recorded a maximum temperature of 34.4°C on Thursday. With temperatures gradually increasing and no signs of rainfall or the seasonal Kalbaishakhi (Norwester) in the forecast, the situation has raised concerns across the state.
Several districts, Bankura, Purulia, Jhargram, East and West Medinipur, Howrah, Hooghly, North 24 Parganas, and South 24 Parganas, had earlier requested changes in school timings due to the heat. These districts had written to the Primary Education Board, proposing that morning classes be held for primary students to reduce heat exposure during regular school hours.
The decision to advance the summer vacation aims to safeguard the health and well-being of students amid rising temperatures across West Bengal.
(With inputs from PTI)
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