HYDERABAD: Although the TSRTC strike is done and dusted, its effects are being felt even now. It is not the staff who are feeling the pinch but tenth standard and Intermediate students, whose Sankranti holidays are being cut drastically.
Managements of some private colleges are telling parents and guardians that a decision to this extent was taken so that they could make for lost time and complete the syllabus. During the RTC strike, many schools and educational institutions were given up to nine extended holidays in the absence of public transport facilities.
Compensating for the loss of time, the state government has declared that all second Saturdays till April would be considered as working days. It implies that this rule will prevail till the end of the annual examinations.
According to the academic calendar, Sankranti holidays are from January 11 to 16. However, as January 11 is a second Saturday, schools and colleges will function as a weekday. This is confusing the educational institutions as schools declared holidays only from January 12. Added to that, some institutes are reopening on January 16 instead of the originally scheduled January 17.
Principal of a corporate institute, on the condition of anonymity, said “We are trying to complete the syllabus by using the second Saturdays because of which our Sankranti holidays will begin on January 12.” “Holidays are also equally important for a child’s mind. We have already booked tickets in advance based on the academic calendar to our hometowns. Now students have to miss their classes because of the change in the schedule,” said Ms. Sujatha Reddy, a parent from Sainikpuri.
Meanwhile, some institutes are even conducting internal exams till January 13 to keep pace with their internal schedules.
