Schools get mini-break for Ganpati

Some schools club August mid-term break, postpone Teacher’s Day celebrations to fit holidays into schedule

MUMBAI: The vacation for the Ganpati festival has taken away the August mid-term breaks and Teacher’s Day celebrations in many city schools.

This year, many schools have cancelled their mid-term breaks, usually given to students in the initial weeks of August, to declare Ganpati holidays for five to seven days starting from August 28.

Some schools have even postponed Teacher’s Day celebrations falling on September 5, to extend the Ganpati holidays till September 8.

Students of Pawar Public Schools in Kandivli, Powai and Bhandup will get a holiday during the Ganpati festival, from August 29 to September 8. The 10-day vacation has become possible as the schools have decided to stay shut even on Teacher’s Day.

“Technically, we have declared a six-day holiday, but when you club the weekends and holidays for Ganesh chaturthi and visarjan, the holiday gets extended,” said Madhura Phadke, founder principal of the Bhandup school.

The school has postponed its Teacher’s Day celebrations to September 13. “On Teacher’s Day, the school only runs halfday with senior students dressing up like teachers and playing their part. This can be done any time,” said Amita Katyal, principal of the Kandivli school, which will work on a few Saturdays to make up for the holiday.

Other schools have announced the vacation by replacing their mid-term break with Ganpati vacation. “We would usually give a five-day break to students at the end of first term exam around early August so that those living in the hostel could visit home,” said Anjana Prakash, principal of Hansraj Morarji Public School, Andheri.

But this year, the school decided to postpone the mid-term break to coincide with Ganpati festival. “We have to complete the 240 working days mandated by the Right to Education Act. Hence, we decided to give a midterm break during Ganpati so that we don’t lose out on working days,” said Prakash.

Campion School, Fort, has also followed a similar practice. “We already have a short Diwali break and so, we had to combine our mid-term break with the Ganpati vacations,” said Paul Machado, principal of Campion School, Fort.

Schools have been forced to announce Ganpati vacations since last year, after the Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena (MNVS) demanded that the state school department ask institutions to announce a seven-day vacation for the festival.

While the department had mandated schools to announce the vacation by reducing Diwali or Christmas holidays last year, this year, it has left the decision on schools.

NB Chavan, deputy director of education, Mumbai Region, said. “Schools should decide on their holidays based on the parents’ consensus.”

However, Jayant Jain, president of the Forum For Fairness in Education, a parents teachers body, said, most often, schools do not consult with parents.

“Schools fear the repercussions, if they do not announce the Ganpati vacation, but none of them have taken a parents’ consensus before deciding on the holidays,” he said.

Bhayander-resident, Kartika Gopal, a parent, said, “The school that my daughter studies in has given Ganpati holidays, but it has reduced the summer vacations. Most parents prefer longer summer holidays, as it gives them more time to travel. The school did not consult the parents before announcing the holiday.”