Gujarat schools will have short summer vacation this year

Many families would already be hoping for a great summer escape seeing a decline in COVID cases. The state education department, however, has decided to curtail the summer vacation big time with plans to keep the schools going, online or offline, depending on COVID-19 situation.

In fact, state education minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama told TOI that it has been decided not to give the conventional 35 days of summer vacation at the end of the academic year 2020-21. “We have decided not to declare 35-day long summer vacation. The summer break will most likely be only for a week,” Chudasama said. The decision will be binding to schools all boards.

The minister said that while the final decision will be taken only after consultation with all stakeholders, the decision to shorten the summer break aims to ensure a smooth 2021-22 academic year.
Due to the unprecedented pandemic situation, students have remained out of schools for nearly 10 months now. The class X and XII board exams, conventionally held in March, too have been postponed and will be held in May.

School managements have largely welcomed the decision. “We had requested the state government to curtail the long summer break. A 35-daybreak is not needed at a time when students have largely remained at home during the Covid-19 pandemic. Academic session 2021-22 needs to begin on time,” said Jatin Barad, vice president of Gujarat State Self-Financed School`s Association (GSSFSA). Milan Patel, the parent of class 9 student, said that they had planned to go out of station during summer. “However, after a pandemic, academics is a priority,” said Patel.