Hyderabad: Private schools remain open till 3 pm ignoring government orders

HYDERABAD: Some private schools did not follow the school education department’s orders of closing classes at 11.30 am from Thursday, and sending students home in view of the rising temperatures. Government schools closed early.

“The classes were run till 11 am, after which the students were provided their meals before they left for home,” said Manjula Reddy, a teacher in a government school said. Several private schools, however, held classes till 1 pm, and some of them till 3 pm. The managements of these schools said they needed time to prepare the students for the exams.

“There are schools which have air-conditioned classrooms or have installed air coolers,” noted Telangana Recognised School Management Association president Y. Shekhar Rao.

Meanwhile, Director of Public Health and Family Welfare Dr G. Srinivasa Rao said it is best if the students reach home by noon before the hottest part of the day; that was the intent of closing schools early. The hours between noon and 4 pm are the hottest and is best not to be out in the open. Asked about making more buses to help students reach home quickly, V.C. Sajjanar, TSRTC managing director, said the school education department had alerted the RTC about having adequate services that stop near schools and colleges. “All RTC coordinators have been informed and they are following the guidelines,” he said.