Heatwave in April: Does India need to rethink summer vacation timing for schools?

Neha Sharma keeps checking the weather prediction app on her cellphone constantly these days. Sharma, the mother of a Class 1 student at a private school in Noida Extension, Uttar Pradesh, is worried because her 7-year-old son has to venture out in the summer heat. "I would prefer schools to declare summer holidays early as young children are vulnerable to falling ill in this extreme heat," she said.

Like Sharma, millions of parents across several states in India are worried about sending their children to school amid the heatwave. Schools and state governments share their concern. As temperatures soar, several states have begun declaring summer holidays for schools ahead of schedule.

The pattern of states advancing summer holidays has been increasing since 2022. This comes as parts of India witness a shift in weather patterns with advanced extreme summers and a shorter but intense winter.

"Climate is creating havoc in the country. The weather has become unpredictable and is regularly changing. The call of summer vacations should be taken pragmatically," Brian Seymour, Principal of GD Somani Memorial School, Mumbai, told India Today Digital.

Governments of North Indian states generally schedule summer holidays from mid-May till late June. In the South, where summer's onset varies from the North, vacations in schools start from April and end in late May.

Due to an increase in heatwaves and extreme temperatures, at least 10 states have declared summer holidays ahead of the established schedule since 2022.

"Schools provide six weeks of vacation on a mandatory basis, and in Maharashtra, this rule is followed. But in the north Indian states, due to severe heat, the holiday is prolonged and continues for nearly two months," Seymour said. "The weather has become unpredictable in recent times. Mumbai is witnessing severe heat in March itself, and this is not a usual phenomenon," he added.

In North India, temperatures are touching 40 degrees Celsius in April, which is considered extreme heat and can have severe health risks. States are also witnessing heatwaves. This pattern has been the norm in recent years. Rather than taking a decision on a yearly basis and advancing vacations, there is a need for the state governments to rethink the timing of summer holidays. That's because a school calendar year needs a minimum number of work days for the syllabus and well-rounded development of children.

NEED TO REJIG VACATION SCHEDULE, AND NOT JUST ADVANCE SUMMER HOLIDAY?

A faculty member at a Delhi—NCR school spoke to India Today Digital on the condition that they not be named and said there is a need to rejig the annual vacation schedule rather than bringing forward the summer holidays.

The school vacation structure in India has long followed a predictable rhythm. Indian schools operate for approximately 250 days a year. The weather has become the biggest challenge for schools to complete the total number of planned working days. States like Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, and some others have been altering their summer vacation schedule since 2022 on a yearly basis. But factoring in the changes and preparing ahead of time are crucial in not disrupting studies.

"Advancing summer vacations doesn't affect school calendars if the academic planner is well-prepared in advance, factoring in summer holidays due to regular climatic conditions of extreme heat," retired Principal of Noida's Cambridge School, Nandita Sinha Roy, told India Today Digital.

The assumption that extreme heat in the summer begins from mid-May has now seen changes across states. There has been an increase in heatwaves, and they started in April itself. This is pushing the authorities to change their summer vacation schedules and announce holidays earlier.

Shutting down schools ahead of time offers immediate relief, but also exposes a structural flaw. The academic calendar continues to be built around outdated assumptions —that extreme heat begins in mid-May, when, in reality, it now starts in April.

Though Neha Sharma wants summer vacations to start early, she realises that schools need to complete the syllabus too.

"Schools design elaborate and extensive curricula, but they often fail to manage them effectively in accordance with challenging weather conditions," she said.

Medha Nagpal, a mother of a Class 7 student at a private school in Khurja, Uttar Pradesh, agreed that the sudden shutdown of schools ahead of the schedule would impact studies. "Operating schools at low heat times in the day is currently the most practical solution," she suggested.

That is what the Uttar Pradesh government is doing for primary and middle sections. But several states have declared early summer vacations.

ODISHA, MP, UP, CHHATTISGARH TAKE STEPS TO PROTECT SCHOOLCHILDREN FROM HEATWAVES

The Odisha government announced an early summer vacation as heatwave conditions worsened in the state. On Saturday, the state government announced that the summer holidays for all government, government-aided, and private schools would start from April 27. Authorities in Odisha had earlier scheduled the summer vacation from May 6 to June 17. Even in 2023 and 2024, Odisha had advanced summer holidays.

On April 17, Chhattisgarh brought forward summer holidays for schools due to the heatwave conditions in the state. Chhattisgarh has had to make the same decision even in 2022 and 2024, and this is the third time the state was announcing early summer vacations in recent years. The summer break started on April 20 and will end on June 15. Originally, the summer holidays in Chhattisgarh schools were to start in May. The decision was for all government, aided, private, and non-aided schools, although teachers are continuing their duties as per schedule.

Other states like Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha have also taken measures to protect children from heatwaves. These states have not ordered the early closure of schools. Instead, they have rescheduled the school hours to cooler parts of the day and have introduced hydration practices.

In Uttarakhand, schools have been directed to implement "water bells" to remind students to stay hydrated. Madhya Pradesh has revised school timings and is concluding classes before the afternoon.

Last week, the Uttar Pradesh government changed school timings for students up to Class 8 to protect them from heatwaves. Primary and middle school will function from 7:30 am to 12:30 pm.

Kerala's General Education Department has prohibited any form of academic activity during the official summer vacation period. Authorities have warned schools against conducting special classes, citing both regulatory violations and concerns over children’s health during the heatwave.

EXTREME WEATHER, A CHALLENGE FOR SCHOOLS' OPERATIONS

Summers are getting hotter and arriving early year after year, forcing schools to reschedule their summer vacation plans. From 2022, at least 10 states in North India have had to advance summer vacations to around mid-April. The summer holidays normally start from mid-May.

Schools in Delhi had to close before their schedule in 2024. In 2022, 2023, and 2025, Delhi adopted revised school timings and relied more on advisories for modified timings, hydration, and precautions rather than advancing the summer holidays.

Schools were also forced to declare holidays in winter due to extreme cold and smog, and completing the syllabus has been a major challenge for schools in Delhi. So, they have adopted several methods to overcome the problem of completing the designated portions.

"Since Covid-19, all schools are equipped to work in hybrid mode, so under such weather conditions, schools are anyway going for online classes," Nandita Sinha Roy said.

"National Boards specify 220 working days, including curriculum delivery, exams, and school events and activities. So, the school has the liberty to strategically plan well in advance on how to successfully run the academic session. Creating a good timetable is an art and needs a good investment of time for planning," she added.

The Punjab government in 2022 and 2024 closed schools early in the summer due to heatwaves and extreme heat. West Bengal also readjusted its school holidays twice, once in 2022 and once in 2023. Schools in Odisha have witnessed early summer holidays in 2023 and 2024. Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh have all declared summer vacations earlier than the schedule at least once since 2022.

HOW ARE SCHOOLS ADAPTING TO THE CHANGING WEATHER AND SCHEDULES?

"It's the mindset that needs to change. It has to be more flexible to plan well without actually hampering the stipulated number of school working days, said Roy.

Academicians believe that proper planning of the yearly calendars can make schools adapt, even if the state authorities end up changing holiday schedules at the last moment. The Delhi-based faculty member, who chose to speak on anonymity, said, "Many teachers in our schools have contact with the education department officials, and they get an idea beforehand if holidays will be advanced."

"But, if there is a unified plan that is circulated earlier, there will be ease and no disruption at any phase," the teacher added.

Even if the governments don't announce early holidays during extreme weather conditions, schools take necessary precautions that will keep children safe on the premises.

"Vacations are necessary for children as they need a mental break after a year-long study. In extreme heat conditions, we take measures and don't rely only on the state to send advisories," Brian Seymour said. "We prefer students to be indoors and avoid going outside to play. We make their play time more interesting with fun-filled indoor activities," he added.

The climate keeps changing, and we can't blame it. Rather, we need to use the ability to think for children," he said.

The state government and schools are equal partners with parents for children's safety. They need to see that children aren't exposed to extreme weather conditions, while ensuring there's no uncertainty and disruption.

"Not all schools in India are built to be student-friendly during extreme heat. There are schools with central heating or cooling systems and AC buildings and classes where there is no problem with battling extreme weather," said Roy. But most schools aren't. And then there is also the travel to school in the peak summer sun.

There's no end to the worries of Neha Sharma, whose child is in Class 1. "My son's Unit Tests have been scheduled for the first week of May. How will children attend school in such intense heat? Who will be responsible if they fall ill?" asked Sharma.

As April begins to resemble peak summer with extreme heat and heatwaves, the repeated need to advance school holidays is exposing the limits of a rigid academic calendar. While short-term fixes offer relief, they also underline the urgency for a more climate-responsive approach to schooling. The question now is whether India should move beyond reactive measures and rethink the timing of summer vacations altogether.

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(With inputs from Meenal Sharma)