The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to have half days at school for classes 1 to 9 starting from April 4, due to the high summer temperatures in many parts of the state. Schools will function from 7.30 am to 11.30 am from April 4, followed by the midday meal. However, for class 10 students, the usual school timings with additional study hours will continue, as their Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exams, or board exams, are set to begin from April 27, a press note from the office of the Commissioner of School Education said.
“In view of the onset of summer and high temperature in different parts of the state, in order to ensure health and safety of the students, it is decided to declare single session (half day) schools for classes I to IX from 4th April, 2022 onwards with daily timings from 07.30 AM to 11.30 AM followed by midday meal,” the note from S Suresh Kumar, Commissioner of School Education, said.
According to the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA), two mandals in Visakhapatnam district – Nathavaram and Makavarapalem – experienced heatwave conditions according to the observations made on April 3, with temperatures going up to 5 to 6 degree Celsius above the normal range.
In the neighbouring state of Telangana too, school timings have been reduced after the prediction of a heatwave by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). An order by the Director of School Education stated that schools will have half days from March 31 to April 6, in view of the heatwave forecast. Schools in Telangana, including government, government-aided and private schools, have been told they can function from 8 am to 11.30 am.
On April 2, the maximum temperature recorded in Telangana was 43.9 degrees, in Adilabad district, according to the Telangana State Development Planning Society. Within the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits, the maximum temperature recorded was 38.9 degree Celsius, at Madhapur in Rangareddy district.