Bhubaneswar: Schools reopened Thursday in 20 of Odisha’s 30 districts after a summer vacation of more than one-and-a-half months, while authorities extended the break in 10 districts due to prevailing heatwave conditions.
Summer vacation has been extended till June 20 in Bolangir, Sonepur, Ganjam, Angul, Deogarh, Boudh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sambalpur and Sundargarh districts, officials said.
In Nuapada district, schools resumed with morning classes from 6.30 am to 11.30 am in view of the continuing heatwave, they said.
Both government and private schools reopened in the remaining districts, including Khurda, where the state capital Bhubaneswar is located, and neighbouring Cuttack.
Teachers and school staff welcomed students at the entrance gates as classes resumed. Government-run schools opened at 10 am and will function till 4 pm with a lunch break.
Some students expressed displeasure over the reopening, citing the prevailing hot and humid weather conditions during the daytime. Concerns were also raised over alleged errors in newly introduced textbooks for classes 1 to 8.
Schools across the state had remained closed since April 27 following a sharp rise in temperatures.
The state government has authorised district collectors to decide on the reopening or closure of schools based on local weather conditions in their respective districts.
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