Private schools in Delhi say they will not extend winter vacation

Delhi government on Thursday ordered its schools to extend winter vacations from January 16 to 19 and asked the private schools to decide as per their own assessment.

Most private schools in Delhi have decided not to extend their winter vacations even as the government schools have been asked to be remain shut till January 19.

Most schools in the city are anyway closed for winter vacation till January 15. If the holidays are extended, it will be decided only next week if the cold conditions persist. (HT photo)

Delhi government on Thursday ordered its schools to extend winter vacations from January 16 to 19 and asked the private schools to decide as per their own assessment.

“As of now, we will not extend the vacations. Our school has reopened on January 9. We will observe the weather condition till Sunday and if need be we may give holidays to students till Class 3rd,” said Priyanka Gulati, principal Evergreen Senior Secondary School, Vasundhara Enclave.

Jyoti Arora, principal Mount Abu school, said the school will continue to take classes. “We have decided to not extend the winter vacations,” she said.

Most schools in the city are anyway closed for winter vacation till January 15. If the holidays are extended, it will be decided only next week if the cold conditions persist. Schools also said that since the government has not made it mandatory to suspend classes, they would prefer to stick to the academic schedule.

L V Sehgal, principal, Bal Bharti School, Pusa Road, said, “We will not extend the vacations as we have an academic calendar which we have to follow.”

Ashok Pandey, principal of Ahlcon International School and Ameeta Mulla Wattal, principal, Springdales Pusa Road also said that there was no plan to declare holidays.

The department of education has asked the schools to relax uniform norms so that students are dressed for the cold conditions.

“The schools are directed to ensure that all the students come to school in full sleeves woollen clothes (long socks, stockings, shoes, gloves, caps and scarf ) to protect them from the adverse cold conditions. Students may also be allowed full sleeves/full legged clothing even other than school uniform,” the circular said.