12 Kolkata: State schools are tweaking holidays to reduce count in summer and increase holidays during Durga Puja. Primary students will receive only a nine-day summer vacation, while secondary students will get an 11-day leave during the summer vacation. The West Bengal Board of Primary Education and the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education released holiday lists for primary and secondary schools across the state. In both notices, students of state schools are given a 25-day Puja vacation, shortening the summer vacation.
A section of teachers strongly protested against curbing the summer vacation, as every year the state govt has to bring forward the summer vacation due to extreme heat.
Several school heads emphasised that a holistic report card is going to be introduced from the next academic session, so the imbalance between the planned and unplanned holidays may create difficulties in conducting assessments as per the notice.
Teachers' organisations also reacted against such imbalances. Secondary Teachers and Employees Association district secretary Animesh Haldar said, "In recent years, we saw additional summer breaks extending up to 30-45 days. Therefore, we are demanding a return to the previous 85-day vacation." Advanced Society for Headmasters and Headmistresses general secretary Chandan Maiti said, "This disparity is detrimental to the education system and disregards the interests of students, teachers, and parents."
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