Hyderabad: Denial of requests to the education department from parents and schools seeking extension of summer vacations has not gone down well with students, given the drawn-out summer amid predictions of harsh heat and intermittent heatwaves.
A government school official, not wishing to be named, said that schools are barely registering 60 per cent attendance at most locations due to the persistent heat. In many instances, school staff were also of the belief that holidays should be extended or only half-day schools held for a month.
Thalla Srinivas Reddy, the principal of Andhra Vidyalaya High School at Kattalmandi, said: “There is around 60 per cent of attendance; this is because of the rise is temperature. Parents are not willing to send (children to schools) as afternoon temperatures are unbearable. Student from surrounding areas are making it, but in rural side, the attendance could be lesser.”
Maria Arifuddin, director, Madina Schools, which has a strength of 3,000 students, said, “Yes. The temperatures are indeed high even in the mid-June. It was the decision of education department (to reopen schools). We have to abide with the decision of the government.”
Arifuddin said: “Looking at the present climate condition, our schools have adopted three aqua breaks, apart from the regular recess, till the conditions are normal. PT classes are being avoided. In classrooms, we have installed coolers.”
Many students who attended schools said that they are falling ill due to exposure to the heat while waiting for the bus, in the morning and afternoon. Many who walk to schools said the warm winds were deterring them from attending school.
