WB Heatwaves: PIL Filed In Calcutta High Court Against State's Decision To Prolong School Summer Vacations

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Calcutta High Court against the decision of the West Bengal government to declare a 45-day summer vacation for schools from May 2 to June 15 in view of the prevailing heatwave conditions. 

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had last month recommended all educational institutions across West Bengal to take an early summer break. She had asked senior officials to communicate to schools that they should start the summer vacation from May 2. The appeal was extended to private institutions as well.

Following the Chief Minister's advice, the West Bengal school education department on April 27 issued a letter to the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) and the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE), advising them to declare summer vacation from May 2 to June 15 in view of the prevailing heatwave condition in the state.

"Due to heatwave and prevailing situation, it is advised to declare summer vacation in the schools under your administrative control with effect from 2nd May, 2022, till 15th June, 2022, or until further instructions whichever is earlier except for the hilly areas Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts, where in existing academic schedule may continue until further order," stated the letter signed by the principal secretary to the West Bengal government, Manish Jain.

The PIL filed by Bengal Primary Teachers' Association claimed that the long summer break will affect the school-going habit of students who had suffered a setback during two years of the COVID-19 pandemic when in-person classes could not be held adding that both the teachers and guardians are worried over the decision.

The matter was mentioned before a Bench comprising Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj on Wednesday. The counsel urged the Bench to list the matter for hearing on Thursday and further submitted that the decision of the State government had been taken without paying adherence to any weather forecasts. 

The Chief Justice orally remarked, "Give your mentioning slip, mention your urgency, we will consider". 

The matter is likely to be heard on Thursday.