Schools reopen in Uttar Pradesh as cold abates

LUCKNOW - The schools were reopened Monday after a mini winter vacation declared due to the intense cold conditions here earlier this month.

The schools were closed following the directives of Chief Minister Mayawati.

Wearing gloves, caps, and warm clothes, students of varied age groups were back to their schools on buses, cycles and pedal-rickshaws in the bright sunny morning.

“Most of the schools have decided to function from 9 or 10 a.m. against the normal winter session timing of 8 or 8.30 a.m.,” District Inspector of Schools (DIOS) Ganesh Verma told IANS.

“Though the cold conditions still prevail, they are not as intense as they were earlier this month. I feel for the next few weeks, the schools would continue to function from 9 a.m.,” he added.

Some parents said that the closure of the schools in the wake of cold conditions was a like a small winter vacation for their children.

“The schools were closed after Jan 9. So, students got a mini winter vacation for seven days. My 10-year-old son was quite happy during the period as he got a break from his studies,” Diwakar Tripathi, an official of a nationalised bank and resident of Aliganj locality, told reporters.

According to officials, most of the schools and colleges have decided to hold the pre-board exams within a week.

“Due to the closure of the schools, the pre-board exams have already been delayed. Arrangements would be made to conduct these within a week,” R.P. Mishra, principal of the Queen’s Inter College, told reporters here.