Due to persistent heatwaves in Tamil Nadu and requests from parents and teachers, the state government has postponed the reopening of schools for Classes VI to XII to June 12 and Classes I to V to June 14, reports The New Indian Express. Initially, the schools were scheduled to start on Wednesday, June 7 in the state. The reopening of Puducherry schools has also been pushed to June 14.
According to the report, the decision to postpone the reopening of schools was made following a meeting between School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi and Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday, June 5. This marks the second time that the reopening has been rescheduled due to the prevailing heatwave-like conditions in the state.
What happened earlier?
Earlier, when the summer holidays began, the school education department had directed that schools for Classes VI to XII would reopen on June 1 and for Classes I to V on June 5. However, it was later pushed to June 7 owing to the information received from the meteorological department that the heat would subside from June 5, the minister said.
However, the latest forecast from the meteorological department suggests that the heatwave conditions will persist for a few more days. The maximum temperature is expected to range between 40 and 42 degrees Celsius in isolated areas of Tamil Nadu, including Chennai and neighbouring districts. The department also warned of the hot and humid conditions prevailing during this time.
Concerns raised by parents and teachers regarding the lack of adequate facilities in schools to combat the heat were also taken into consideration. In Puducherry, Chief Minister N Rangasamy announced that schools would reopen on June 14, following the summer vacation. The original reopening date was scheduled for June 1, but it was rescheduled to June 7 due to the prevailing heat conditions.
