With temperatures soaring and the impact of heatwaves on student health, the Maharashtra government has decided to revise school timings statewide. The School Education Department has issued updated guidelines to prioritize student safety and reduce health risks.
Under the new timings, primary schools will operate from 7 am to 11:15 am, and secondary schools will run from 7 am to 11:45 am. A strict prohibition on afternoon sessions has been imposed across the state. This order applies to every school in the state, irrespective of its management. The government’s decision comes after schools reported lower attendance in afternoon sessions.
The circular, co-signed by the Director of Primary Education and the Director of Secondary Education, includes guidelines such as forbidding outdoor and physical activities, discontinuing field-based classes, ensuring functional fans in classrooms, providing cold water, and recommending students eat water-rich seasonal fruits.
The new schedule is consistent with the central government’s guidelines regarding heatwaves. On Friday, the state School Education Department also released a circular outlining necessary measures for schools to protect students from the health effects of the heatwave.
Schools operating on a 'two-session' system may struggle to implement the new directive. A trustee from a school expressed frustration, stating that limited space forces many schools to conduct classes in two sessions.