Extend summer vacation due to severe heat: Schools

With Gujarat reeling under extreme heat and terrible water scarcity, an association of schools has appealed to the state government to extend the summer vacation by a week, saying the hostile climate may pose risks to students.

Many parts of the state, including Ahmedabad, are recording temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius, while the real feel of heat is much more. With monsoon approaching, the air will turn more humid, further discomforting students, said Gujarat State Federation of School Management.

In a letter to Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, the Federation has said that this year's 'Shala Praveshotsav' – the annual drive to promote enrollment in schools – should also be extended. The Federation represents nearly 3,290 schools in the state.

"Members from different parts of the state have raised this concern. Apart from the heat, water scarcity is another issue. So we have asked the state government to extend the vacation from June 10 to June 17. Extending the vacation by a week will not be a major issue," said Bhaskar Patel, president of the Federation.

Patel also batted for postponing 'Shala Praveshotsav' to enroll students in Class 1 from the scheduled date of June 10. "How can five-year olds withstand such high temperatures. It is advisable to postpone the drive as well," said Patel. The Federation feels even parents won't be willing to send their wards to school. "In such a case, it will only result in high absenteeism. So it would make no sense even if schools reopen as per schedule."

The letter says that following the Surat fire tragedy, which claimed 22 lives, many schools are upgrading their infrastructure to meet fire safety norms. "Moreover, textbooks of many standards are either not available or are in poor supply. Considering these extraordinary conditions, the vacation should be extended by a week."

HEAT DRIVES UP MORTALITY: STUDY

All-cause mortality (death due to any cause) sees a rise when the temperature rises, according to a study published in the Indian Journal of Community Medicine two years ago. It assessed the effect of daily maximum temperature relative humidity and heat index for summer months (March to May) from 2014 to 2015 in Surat and revealed that the mortality saw a rise of 20 per cent per day at temperatures that were greater than 40 degrees Celsius.