Nagpur: The state government’s directives to schools (state board) for operating classrooms in April full-time, even on Saturdays, has not gone down well with stakeholders from Vidarbha. Academics say the scorching heat will make it unbearable for students and the only way out is to use a clause in that same directive about morning shift.
In Nagpur, almost all state board schools end their academic session between April 10-15.
Ashnarayan Tiwari, principal of Adarsha Vidya Mandir (Gandhibagh)schools, said, “I don’t think that the full-day format in April is for Vidarbha. When the students get out at around 3pm, they will be venturing out when the sun is at its peak. Conduct of examination in third week of April is not at all a good idea.”
Sapan Nehrotra, lecturer at Jupiter Science College, said, “This is a completely wrong decision and should be scrapped immediately. Nobody is thinking about students, some of whom use cycles, public transport or even foot to commute to school. When school ends at 3pm or 4pm, do you want these students to be walking back with the sun at its peak?”
Ashok Gavhankar, principal of Raosaheb Thawre Schools, said, “There is a clause which allows for morning shift. So, we can call students at around 8am and wrap up by 1pm. Extending it any further will not be right for students.”
Resmi Umesh, principal of Saraswati Vidyalaya (primary), said, “This new schedule is not at all suitable for Nagpur. Apart from the hot weather, there is also an issue of entire schedule getting delayed. If we conduct exams in last week of April, then results get pushed to May.”
Even education department officials were perplexed on how to implement the new directives. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, an official said, “Principals have been calling our people asking how this will happen. Almost everyone has already planned their academic calendar and exams will get over by maximum mid-April. Now, even we don’t know how to handle this situation.”
Another school teacher said, “Visit our classrooms one day and sit under the fan. At noon, that fan starts spewing hot air that literally can be felt on your skin. Even from windows, hot air keeps blowing in making it very difficult for our kids.”
Nagpur, along with other parts of Maharashtra, has been witnessing an unusually hot March so far.
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