Jamshedpur schools change timings as heat wave grips city  

Jamshedpur, April 13: Concerned over the rising mercury in the city the city based private schools have changed the timing with schools opening around 45 minutes earlier (6.30 am) and closing at around 11.30 am. With mercury shooting upto 43 degrees Celsius, the district education office in East Singhbhum has ordered schools to change school timings.

The education department had issued a directive asking government-aided and all private schools to start at 6:30 am with dismissal time at 11:30 am due to the rising heat everyday. The maximum temperature in Jamshedpur hovered around 42 degrees today. So far private schools started their day at 7:30 and got over between 1:30 and 1:50 pm.

“The mercury is rising and it is humid which increases the risk of dehydration and heatstroke especially for younger children. Therefore, we have sent the directives to all aided and private schools.  Government schools have been following their summer timing from early this month,” said an official of the education department.

Father Pius Fernandes, principal, Loyola School informed that with effect from Monday 18th April 2022, school timings will be from 6.25 am to 11.40 am.  

Staff of schools said they had never come across a situation where lesson times had to be changed because of the temperature. “The month of April this year is warmer than usual from the beginning, and suddenly from the middle of the month the temperature shot up to almost 43 degrees Celsius, which is difficult,” said a senior teacher.

Met officials of Jamshedpur, have also predicted hotter days ahead with no sign of rain. He said that when the storms disrupt sea breeze and delay the onset. This results in the temperature soaring above normal. The dry westerly and northwesterly winds from Bay of Bengal are making the temperature rise.

Some of the schools that near busy roads are Motilal Nehru Public School (MNPS), Rajendra Vidyalaya, Loyola School and Beldih Church School, DAV Public School, Hill Top School and Little Flower School (Telco Main Road), and Kerala Samajam Model School.

Some schools like Beldih Church School, Sacred Heart Convent School have decided to change the timing from Monday.

Meanwhile, city-based senior doctor, Dr. U K Srivastava said that people should take extra care during such sweltering weather conditions.“I am of the opinion that special arrangements should be made in all government hospitals and community health centres across the city to treat those suffering from sunstroke. There should be arrangement of air-conditioners or air-coolers for the treatment of such patients,” he noted.

Meanwhile, members of Jamshedpur Abhibhavak Sangh, a parents’ body, had requested the state government to change the school timings in view of the soaring mercury levels.

The outfit president Dr Umesh Kumar had informed that a memorandum had been sent to Chief Minister Hemant Soren in this regard.