Schools in Ghaziabad to remain closed till January 12 due to cold wave, fall in temperature

The district magistrate of Ghaziabad Ritu Maheshwari on Sunday ordered that all schools till class 12, under all education boards will remain closed till January 12, owing to the cold wave and fall in temperature. Practical examinations of class 12 and the pre-board examinations of classes 10 and 12, however, will continue according to schedule, the order said.

In an earlier order dated January 4, all government and government-aided basic education schools in Ghaziabad were ordered to shift opening time to 10am. Parents of students in private schools had also asked for a change in school timings as private schools were starting at 9am. In December last year, the district administration had ordered that opening timings of all schools be shifted to 9am in view of cold weather conditions.

Schools in Noida, however, will open according to their individual schedules after the winter break, as the administration has not issued any order for the district.

“We have not asked any school to remain closed as we don’t think the weather situation is severe yet. Depending on the meteorological conditions in the coming week, we will take decisions as and when required,” B N Singh, district magistrate of Noida, said.

Most schools across both cities are expected to reopen after winter vacations on Monday, January 7.

Parents of students studying in Ghaziabad are now discussing the rationale of keeping schools closed for such long durations and the possible impact on their respective academic calendars. Some parents said that schools should have greater autonomy in deciding closure dates as they prepare the annual curriculum accordingly.

“Schools nowadays remain open for just about six months in the entire year, after discounting weekends, summer and winter vacations, and other festivals and political events. This is not favourable for the annual academic calendar, especially for senior students. Some of these vacations can be easily avoided. An increased focus on academics is required,” Shivani Jain, president of all school parents’ association, Ghaziabad, said.

Meanwhile, parents of students studying in Noida said that extending the vacation days in Noida as well would be a welcome step, considering the sudden dip in temperature. Parents said that in Noida, vacations are not usually extended based on weather conditions, even during monsoon.

“It would be good to increase the winter vacations in Noida as well, keeping in view the health of the children. It rained on Sunday and temperature may dip further, making younger children more vulnerable to cold and infections,” Yatendra Kasana, president, all Noida School parents’ association (ANSPA), said.

Meanwhile, doctors said that measures should be taken to keep warm and protect oneself from the winter. Doctors suggested that people should restrict movement during early mornings and late night, keep ears and face covered while going out and should not use heaters with direct radiation.