Assam: Guidelines issued for schools on prevailing heatwave in state

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: State education minister Ranoj Pegu, in light of the ongoing heatwave, has instructed all district commissioners and principal secretaries of the 6th schedule areas to follow the guidelines contained in a message sent out last year in a similar situation. The gist of the guidelines is that the school timings should be advanced to early hours so that the students are not exposed to the scorching heat.

Meanwhile, several districts have rescheduled the school timings to bring relief to the school students from the heatwave that continues to hit the state. The maximum temperature on Friday rose to 40 degrees Celsius in many parts of the state, including the capital city of Guwahati and Silchar in the Barak valley. A similar trend in high temperatures was witnessed on Saturday too.

In view of the excessive heatwave across the state, the inspectors of schools, DEEO, and Mission Coordinator of SSA issued the following guidelines to the school authorities under their jurisdiction and requested that they follow them accordingly: Re-scheduling of school timing: school timing is being advanced to one hour before the usual school timing and closed one hour prior to the usual school closing time; the morning assembly should be conducted in a shadow area, in the classroom, or in the hall. The daily temperature reading should be shared in the morning assembly for the students' awareness; if possible, a maximum of three students may be accommodated per bench; adequate pure drinking water facilities should be provided in front of every class room, and every student should be encouraged to drink pure water at an interval of every half hour.

The school authorities are also instructed to keep electric fans in good working condition. In the case of defective fans, immediate measures must be taken for their repair or replacement. Moreover, students are to be instructed not to wear blazers, waistcoats, and ties during the current heat wave. And if students feel uncomfortable wearing shoes, they may be allowed to wear sandals.

In case of any uneasiness observed among the students, parents must be informed immediately and to contact the nearest hospital for medical assistance. The guidelines also call for awareness to be created among the parents through messages or over the phone for precautionary measures to be taken during this heat wave. The school authorities were also instructed to restrict outdoor activities for the students during this heatwave.

School timings have been changed for the Kamrup (Metro) district. The timings, applicable for government or provincialized as well as private schools, were revised to: LP schools: 7.30 am to 12 noon; ME schools: 7.30 am to 12.30 pm; and HS and HSS: 7.30 am to 1.00 pm.

The Inspector of Schools cum Mission Director of SSA had earlier instructed the principal, headmaster, or head teacher of schools in Kamrup (Metro) district to ring the water bell three times every day during school hours in order to ensure that every student drinks sufficient water and keeps themselves hydrated. The new order asks the school authorities to continue with the instruction until further notice.

 Also Read: Assam: School timings changed following heatwave in Cachar district (sentinelassam.com)

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