The continuing heatwave has extended the summer vacation for the youngest students of private English-medium schools in both Jamshedpur and Dhanbad, but not the state capital.

In Ranchi, the tiny tots will start school from Monday. But in Jamshedpur and Dhanbad, the youngest schoolchildren — from entry level to Classes II or III — get another week of holidays at the very least, by when, it is hoped, monsoon would set in.

With temperatures around 40°C and above in most parts of the Jharkhand, the school and literacy education department had directed government schools last week to extend their vacations from Classes I to III till June 22. In Jamshedpur and Dhanbad, the authorities of private English-medium schools largely followed suit.

The Ranchi district administration, however, withdrew the order last week when showers dragged down day temperatures to bearable levels (36°C-38°C).

In Jamshedpur, children from kindergarten to Class II at Loyola School, Sacred Heart Convent School, Carmel Junior College and Rajendra Vidyalaya will stay at home till next Sunday, June 23, and start school from June 24.

Children up to Class III at DBMS English School, Hill Top School and Vidya Bharati Chinmaya Vidyalaya will stay home till next Sunday.

Older children in all these schools will go to school but return home before noon as dispersal times have been brought down.

On parents getting confused over some schools extending the summer holidays for students only up to Class II and some up to Class III, G. Lalitha, a senior teacher of Sacred Heart Convent School, said her school informed all parents through SMS alerts.

“Here, children up to Class II get to stay at home for one more week. We have texted parents. But many don’t check, or change phone numbers without informing the school,” she said.

DBMS English School principal Rajani Shekhar said she was hoping that by June 23, the monsoon would hit the state and small children would not face the brunt of the heat.

In Dhanbad, principal of DAV Public School A.K. Pandey said they had asked children up to Class III to stay at home for another week and would review the day temperature on Monday to see how the older students, who would start school, were faring.

“We don’t want any child to be exposed to this extreme heat and fall ill,” Pandey said.

In Ranchi, where on Sunday the temperature touched 40°C, some parents were worried about school on Monday.

“The heat had come down last week, but it is again very hot today (Sunday),” said a worried parent.

“Children are prone to dehydration in the heat. I hope the authorities decide (to close schools) accordingly.”