Start schools late, demand parents

CHANDIGARH: Plummeting temperatures and fog has prompted parents to demand a relaxation in the opening timings of educational institutions to save their children from the chill.
Mothers and fathers struggling to pull their kids out of quilts believe the 8am time that private schools are sticking too is a tad harsh, asking them to delay it by an hour.
Vishakha Gulati, a resident of Sector 8, says, "Schools should start an hour late as the weather has become very cold. It is very difficult to ready the kids early in the morning and take them to school. Extra periods can be removed from the class timetable to manage the timing." Fearing for their health, he says, "Children should not get exposed to the chilly weather in the morning as they might fall ill." Preeti Bhatia, a resident of Sector 8 in Panchkula who's son and daughter study in a Chandigarh school, says, "If the winter vacation cannot be advanced, schools should at least reopen a bit late."
Monita Mehta, a resident of Sector 19, says, "The timings should be delayed by at least an hour and they remain in force even when the schools re-open after the vacation. It will become convenient for everyone if schools delay the time." The administration is not heeding to the request, for now, adopting a wait-and-watch policy.
UT finance and education secretary V K Singh says, "We will look into the matter and take a decision according to the general perception of the majority. If there is a significant dip in the temperature in comparison to previous years, action will be taken accordingly. Generally, we take this decision after the winter vacation in January."
Principals of private schools too are non-committal. Rakesh Sachdeva, principal, DAV School, Sector 15, says, "I know some parents want the school to start a little late. I will take the final decision after talking to principals of other DAV schools." Kavita Das, principal, St John's High School, says, "We will change the timings next month if we feel it is necessary and the cold wave refuses to abate.