Jharkhand Schools academic session extended till July for three years,

School timing till 1 pm evokes protest among teachers

Ranchi, April 3: Jharkhand government announced to alter its academic year from the current session 2022-23 for a period of three years. This means, new academic year in state government affiliated schools will commence from July this season as opposed to the existing practice of April.

Meanwhile, directive of school hours till 1 pm evoked strong protest from teachers organisation as Met department issued heat wave warning in few districts. 

Officials in the state school education and literacy department said that the change in academic session cycle will be in force for a period of three years and will be restored back to April cycle from 2025-26 session. The decision has been taken in view of the academic activities disrupted due to Covid pandemic and school commencing offline after nearly two year in primary level.

Director of the Jharkhand Education Project Council (JEPC) Kiran Kumari Passi said that the department has decided to extend/alter its academic year to streamline the teaching process in the state run schools. She said, “Due to covid-19 induced closure of schools, entire education system was affected right from proper teaching to completion of syllabus, and other activities mandated per academic year. Hence, to reduce pressure on students and teachers and streamline the academic process, education department has decided to extend its academic year cycle from April to July 1 for 2022-23.”

She however maintained that gradually within three years time, it will be brought back to April, which marks the start of new academic year in the country across different boards.

“We have planned to reduce the extension in academic cycle by one month each year for next three years to restore the earlier process. So, for 2023-24, the new academic cycle will begin from June 1 whereas 24-25 will have May 1 as the commencement date for new session,” she said, adding that examinations too will be tuned according to the new academic pattern.

“Annual exam for class 1-9 and 11 that are taken by the schools will be held in the last month of the every academic year. However, enrolment of students in class 1 has been unchanged and it will happen with effect from April 1 itself during this period and all the new enrolled students too will receive midday meals even as the session will begin with effect from the revised cycle,” she said.

The decision of the Jharkhand education department to continue school hours till 1pm even as the weather department issued heat wave alerts in several districts has evoked strong protest from teachers and parents.

“It is inhuman on the part of the education officials to ask schools to operate between 7am and 1pm. It has never happened before. Prior to the pandemic, the school timing during summer used to be between 6.30am and 11.30am. We have submitted a letter to the authorities on Saturday requesting for reconsideration of the timing,” said All Jharkhand Primary Teachers Association spokesperson Nasim Ahmed.

The Ranchi Met office on Friday had registered a maximum temperature of 43.4 degrees Celsius for Palamau, 40 degrees Celsius for Jamshedpur and 38 degrees for Ranchi.

Jharkhand Education Project Council (JEPC) project director Kiran Kumari Passi, in the notification on Friday, has asked the regional education joint director, district education officers and district superintendents of education to ensure that state-owned schools should function between 7am and 1pm from April 1, 2022 and June 30, 2022.

The letter also directs that from July onwards till March the school would function between 9am and 3pm.