Teachers urge govt to extend holidays due to hot weather

The government had recently issued an order to reopen all schools on June 3 as the students had a longer holiday this year due to Lok Sabha elections.

After the meteorological department predicted that hot weather would continue into June, Tamil Nadu Teachers Association pointed out that most of the districts in Tamil Nadu have temperaturesabove 37 degrees Celsius. The President of the association, P K Illamaran, said that in addition to hot weather, severe heat waves have also been witnessed everywhere.

“Even when adults are finding it hard to venture out, children cannot be asked to come to school,”he said, adding that the government should consider extending the holidays for another week.”

Meanwhile, sources from the School Education Departmentsaid that the government is keenly monitoring the situation and would take the right decision.

“Parents and teachers have requested us to extend the holidays citing the hot weather. The School Education Minister will take up the request with the Chief Minister and a decision will be taken.”

Chennai District Parents-Teachers association also pointed out that children are vulnerable to various infectious diseases in the summer. K Vadivel Kumar, the association representative, said that in addition to the hot weather, water scarcity is a huge problem this year.

“Availability of drinking water in the summer is poor in most of the government schools andtherefore, the schools should be reopened only in the second week of June after ensuring all basic requirements for the students.”

Vadivel said that the association has also sent a representation to the Directorate of School Education to extend the summer holidays for the benefit of the students.