Written by Adrija Datta

In response to an urgent appeal by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, several private schools in Kolkata and other parts of West Bengal have decided to advance their summer vacation and shut down from May 9, instead of their previously scheduled dates.

The move comes in the wake of escalating Indo-Pak tensions following India’s missile strikes on Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) under Operation Sindoor.

“In view of the present situation and to ensure the safety and well-being of students, we have decided to close our school from Friday, May 9. Initially, we had planned to close from May 16,” said Siddhartha Dey, Principal of Julien Day School.

Echoing a similar sentiment, Joyoti Chaudhuri, Principal of Delhi Public School Ruby Park, said, “We are also closing from May 9 and will reopen on June 9. It is important to follow the government’s appeal in times like these.”

The Chief Minister, during a press briefing on Wednesday, requested all private schools across the state to prepone their summer breaks as a precautionary measure. She urged them to declare Thursday, May 8 as the last working day and begin summer holidays from May 9.

Sunita Sen, Principal of Ballygunge Siksha Sadan, said, “Our plan was to close for the summer from next week, but we are complying with the Chief Minister’s request.”

Modern High School Principal Damayanti Mukherjee said, “9th May is our last working day. We are abiding to our old schedule.”

Lipika Ghosh, Principal of St. Xavier’s Institution, Panihati, stated, “We were supposed to begin our vacation from May 14, but following the CM’s advisory, we decided to prepone it.”

The education fraternity has largely welcomed the decision, viewing it as a proactive step to prioritise student safety during a time of heightened national tension.

The writer is an intern with The Indian Express