Parents allege schools defy winter timing in Bhopal

BHOPAL: In what seems to be a blatant flouting of instructions, private schools in the state capital are forcing schoolchildren to attend classes early morning in the severe cold.
Even though the district education office (DEO) had ordered opening of schools after 9am, most primary and middle schools are opening before the stipulated time in the harsh winter.Since December 18 last year, school timings for classes 1 to 8 of government and private schools were changed in view of dip in temperature.
“There is no meaning of these instructions. Both my kids reach bus stop at the usual time of 7:30am,” said the father of a student wishing anonymity . He added that when he questioned the school authorities regarding the same, he was told that they cannot make any further changes in the timings.
Another parent agreed that timing of 9am was never followed. “When you are asking children to get to school by 8:15am there is no meaning of saying that classes would start from 9am,” the parent said.
In few schools, parents have filed complaint to the school management but to no avail. “We were simply told to follow instructions as others were following as well,” said another parent.
However, when contacted all schools claimed that they were properly following the DEO instructions.
“We have been following the directions given regarding school timings for a month now. The junior section classes (nursery to class 3) commence from 9:30am while the senior section classes start at 8:30am,” said DPS Neelbad principal Vineeta Malik.
Sagar Public School principal Pankaj Sharma said, “We had scheduled the classes of junior section from 9am. Till Monday, students of classes 4 and above didn’t have any change in the existing schedule. However, our management has called for the change in timings as per DEO’s instructions.”
Jayanti Suresh, principal of St Paul School, said, “We have already extended the school timings due to the drop in temperature. The senior section (Classes 6 and above) have to report at 8:45am for school assembly while classes commence from 9am. For the juniors, reporting time is 9:45am and classes begin from 10am.”
Bal Bhawan School principal Rajesh Sharma said, “Our school starts at 8:50am which is almost in accordance with the updated regulations prescribed by authorities.”