Schools to remain shut due to extreme cold

Calcutta News.Net
Sunday 4th January, 2009

With the freezing cold unlikely to see a thaw in the next few days, the Delhi government has asked all state-run schools to extend the winter break by two more days for students till Class 8, while all municipal schools will reopen only Jan 12.

Delhi Education Minister Arvinder Singh said Sunday that an advisory has been sent to all government schools to extend the vacation till Tuesday. The advisory has been sent to public schools as well.

K.S. Mehra, Municipal Corporation of Delhi commissioner, said: 'MCD schools will remain closed till Jan 11 due to the cold wave and foggy weather. The schools will reopen Jan 12.'

In the past few days, the capital has seen the minimum temperature plummet below 5 degrees Celsius, coupled with bitterly cold winds and dense fog.

Many private schools like the Delhi Public School branches in East of Kailash and Vasant Vihar -- which have classes till middle level -- will reopen Jan 12. Meanwhile, some others like Springdales School, Pusa Road, have decided to delay the start time from 7.15 a.m. to 8 a.m.

Cold easterly winds have begun to make the winter experience risky and health officials warn that children would be especially vulnerable to developing infections at this time.

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