Hyderabad: The heatwave conditions prevailing in Telangana state has compelled the government to declare that schools in all 31 districts close down early for the summer holidays.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao felt that sending children to school was not advisable and directed the education minister and officials concerned to ensure that the summer holidays are declared from Wednesday. But since the instructions did not reach in time, school education commissioner G. Kishan issued a press statement that summer holidays for all government, aided and private schools will commence from April 20.
April 22 was supposed to be the last working day for schools this year, so the summer break now starts two days earlier.
No Mid-day meals this summer
Regarding the mid-day meal scheme, education minister Kadiam Srihari said that it was implemented during the summer holidays last year, but the feedback from district collectors was that it did not work.
“Children did not turn up for lunch in schools and the food went waste every day. This year no decision has been taken until now,” the minister said.
Mr Srihari said the government had not taken a decision whether to distribute foodgrains to families in lieu of the mid-day meals, as the AP government is doing.
The AP education department has decided to end the academic year 2016-17 on April 22. State HRD minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao on Wednesday directed that rations would be distributed for 42 days to the 25 lakh students studying in 301 drought-affected mandals in the state. This is instead of the mid-day meal.
