Schools start sessions early, build ‘holiday bank’ for peak summer
Times of India | 3 April 2025
12 Kolkata: Anticipating a scorching summer, some city schools have started the academic session from mid-March to build a ‘holiday bank' so they can be encashed when the temperature soars and schools are forced to shut down.
Heritage School, St Augustine's Day School, National Gems Higher Secondary School, and Rishi Aurobindo Memorial Academy have started full-fledged offline classes in mid-March.
Those who started early preferred to call it the "time for settling down" for the new academic session. St Augustine's Day School principal Rodney Borneo emphasised that the early session helped children get accustomed to the new classes. "Eventually, we know we have to go online, but before that, we would have a considerable period of offline classes so that students get comfortable with their new classes, new teachers, new routine, course curriculum, etc."
Heritage School principal Seema Sapru said that the early start helps them conduct several outdoor activities, which might be curtailed due to extreme heat in the days ahead. "At this time, teachers go for paper checking. We have enough time for events, activities, and sports. We can save a number of days if we get to work with children for at least a month before we are asked to close the school in the middle or end of April due to extreme heat."
National Gems Higher Secondary School brought forward their schedule by two weeks.. Principal Keya Sinha said this two-week period allows children to settle down with the situation. "This allows us to conduct several offline classes before the summer situation worsens."
DPS Newtown School principal Sonali Sen said they started their new session last week, while students of classes IX, X and XII were asked to attend extra classes one week early. "The senior students need more offline classes," she said.
Many schools are following the same schedule, keeping in mind that many of their teachers are busy with paper checking. Julien Day Group of Schools director of education and development Terence John said they are following the April session but keeping the school open for the first and third Saturday to make up for learning losses due to emergencies.
State schools start their academic session in Jan and have completed three months of classes. However, several teachers from state schools expressed their concern over the long summer holidays, like in the last few years, which have affected the teaching-and-learning system.