Several private schools have decided to conduct online classes on Thursday and Friday so students don’t have to step out amid rough winds and rain that Cyclone Dana is expected to trigger in the city.
A government circular to suspend “academic activities” from October 23 to 26 in nine districts — including Calcutta, North and South 24-Parganas, and Howrah — was sent to private schools on Tuesday.
Most schools were open on Wednesday but decided to stay shut or switch to online classes on Thursday and Friday.
St James’ School will remain closed for the next two days. Pratt Memorial School is closed on Thursday, an official said on Wednesday.
A Diwali night celebration for underprivileged children was scheduled for Friday at St James’ School. It has been deferred to next week.
The La Martiniere schools, South Point, Lakshmipat Singhania Academy and Indus Valley World School have decided to switch to online classes on Thursday and Friday.
The Calcutta diocese of the Church of North India, which runs 20-odd English- and Bengali-medium schools, has advised the institutions to follow the government circular.
“We are following the diocesan advice and have decided to suspend in-person classes. We don’t want the children to step out in inclement weather,” said Supriyo Dhar, secretary, La Martiniere schools.
Parents are wondering whether it will be feasible to conduct online classes amid heavy rain and storms. “The internet connectivity is not stable on such days and it becomes difficult to stay connected online,” said a New Town resident, whose daughter is in Class II.
“We have told teachers that if classes are disrupted, they will have to set work. But it becomes difficult for us to not take classes at all, especially for board batches who have their pre-board exams after Diwali,” said Meena Kak, principal, Lakshmipat Singhania Academy.
Several private schools are closed for the Puja vacation and are set to reopen after Diwali.
“During this period, classes are only held for the board batches and the children with special needs. Those sessions will be held online in the next two days,” said Sangeeta Tandon, principal, Shri Shikshayatan School.
Some schools said they would make a decision on Thursday morning.
“We have informed our parents that we will send them a notice by 6am on Thursday if we decide to close the school. We want to watch the weather on Wednesday night and Thursday morning before making any decision,” said Pratima Nayar, principal, junior school, Calcutta International School.
“It becomes inconvenient if it rains in the morning or when the classes end for the day. Traffic is hugely impacted, as it happened on Wednesday, and it takes almost double the time to reach school or home,” said a parent.
