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Bhubaneswar: Terming the revised school timings as a wrong decision of Odisha Mass Education Department, Congress MLA Santosh Singh Saluja on Sunday urged the State government to close the school before 11:30 AM every day in order to ensure the safety of students and teachers from the scourge of impending heatwave.
The development comes a day after the government revised the school timings for classes 9 to 12 between 7 am and 1 pm in view of the summer heat. The new timings will come to effect from March 1 (tomorrow).
Speaking about the revised school timings, Saluja said that the students returning home at 1PM are more likely to get affected by heatwave. So the department should immediately review its previous decision to conduct school from 9.00 AM to 1.00 PM for classes -X and XII.
"The school should commence at 6 AM and end latest by 11:30 AM, providing just enough time for the students to return home before the temperature hits peak," Saluja said.
"God forbid, if something happens to the students while returning from school at 1 PM, then I will hold the Mass Education Department responsible," he said.
The classes of Standard IX and XI students which are conducted from 8.30 AM to 10.00 AM at present have been rescheduled to 7.00 AM to 9.00 AM. Similarly, Class X and XII which are at present running from 11.00 AM to 4.00 PM is rescheduled to 9.00 AM to 1.00 PM.
The Odisha Secondary School Teachers Association (OSSTA) on Saturday also raised similar concerns while lashing out the government for unilaterally taking the decision to implement new class timings.
The teachers’ body has also issued an ultimatum to the State government that from March 1, its members will not attend classes on all Sundays.
General Secretary of the OSSTA, Prakash Mohanty has alleged the new timings implemented to keep students safe from the possible heat wave situation will in fact create more problems for them.
