Parents, teachers urge govt to change school timings this summer

Chennai: Several parents and members of Tamil Nadu Teachers’ Association have urged the State government to change timings of schools affiliated to the State board, due to the scorching heat this month and for the next few months.

Chennai and other regions of the State have been witnessing a steady rise in temperature in April. Many parents and teachers claim that children are facing difficulty in commuting and concentrating in class.

Speaking on this, PK Ilamaran, president of Tamil Nadu Teachers’ Association, said, “We request the State government to change school timings to mornings alone – 7:30 am to 12:30 pm – throughout the State due to scorching heat. Though teachers are present in the school throughout, students can concentrate better in class if they’re not drained by the daily commute to school and back home. If not for all, the State Education Department should consider the change for students from classes 1 to 8 at least.”

Stakeholders also claim that kids are stressed about school reopening after the pandemic. “It’s exhausting to go to school from Monday to Saturday with just a one-day break especially after a lull due to COVID,” pointed out Sulochana, a mother whose kid is studying in Class 7 at a corporation school. “And school timing of 8:50 am to 3:10 pm just piles on the pressure on students, who’re already reeling in this heat.”

Meanwhile, it is important to note that the Tamil Nadu government had extended summer vacation for schools in 2017, 2018 and 2019 due to rise in temperature.