Ahead of Mon opening, state extends summer hols till May 31

Kolkata: The state school education department has extended the summer vacation until May 31, a total of 21 days. This year, the summer vacation was initially scheduled for eight days, and state-aided schools shut on May 11 and were to reopen on Monday. But the school education department issued an order on Wednesday stating that the institutes will now reopen on June 1.Officials said the move follows a surge in temperatures across several districts. The extension aims to ensure the safety and well-being of students amid extreme weather conditions, the official added.While the order is binding on all govt and govt-supported institutions, private schools may follow separate schedules.The notice did not mention the reason behind the extension of the holiday, but several teachers' organisations expressed concern about how the syllabus would be covered. Swapan Mandal, secretary of the Bengal Teachers' and Employees' Association, said, "There is no proper reason behind this extension. The weather conditions are not bad enough to extend the summer holiday. This applies only to state schools while the holidays for madrasas have not been extended."