Odisha heatwave | Summer vacation for schools to begin two weeks early

Summer vacation for both government and private schools in Odisha will start from April 21, 2023, in view of the heatwave sweeping the State

The Odisha government on Thursday announced that summer vacation for schools will commence on April 21 — two weeks before the schools usually break for summer vacation — in wake of the heatwave sweeping the State for the past 10 days.

“As per Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s instruction, summer vacation for both government and private schools (from Standard 1 to 12) will start from April 21, 2023 in view of the prevailing heatwave conditions. The school and mass Education Department will notify the date of reopening in due course,” said the State government in a statement on Thursday. Mr. Patnaik has taken the decision by utmost importance to the health of children.                 

All government, private schools and Anganwadi centers from class I to XII will remain closed. Normal life in Odisha has been affected due to heatwave conditions. Some of the towns of Odisha figured in the list of the hottest cities in India.

School and Mass Education Minister Sameer Ranjan Dash said, “As per the academic calendar, summer vacation in schools would have started from May 4 and continued till May 16. The unprecedented heatwave condition forced us to take a decision of advancing the vacation.”

Mr. Dash said there was no chance in parent-teacher meeting scheduled in schools across the State. However, students would not be allowed to accompany their parents. Schools have now resorted to online classes to make up time lost.

By 2.30 p.m. today, highest temperature of 42.8 degree Celsius was measured at Jharsuguda while Bhubaneswar recorded 42.6 degree Celsius. In majority of towns in western Odisha, temperature soared past 42-degree Celsius mark. There was some respite in coastal region with Paradip and Chandbali recording above 30 degrees Celsius.

Heatwave condition has affected normal life with people preferring to remain indoors. Streets wore deserted look while strenuous jobs have been banned during daytime. There was drastic fall in vehicular movements all districts.