Odisha Schools to Resume Normal Classes from June 22: Education Minister

Bhubaneswar: School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond on Thursday announced that the reopening and operational timings of schools will be reviewed in response to current weather conditions.

Minister Gond said, “We previously directed district collectors to decide on school reopenings or timing adjustments for Classes I to XII across government, aided, and private schools based on their district’s weather. Morning classes may be held from 6:30 am to 10:30 am if conditions demand.”

The department later notified that all schools statewide will operate from 6:30 am to 10:30 am on June 21, resuming normal hours from June 22.

Several districts, including Ganjam, Bhadrak, Bargarh, Sundargarh, Sonepur, and Sambalpur, had already declared school closures until June 20. Conversely, collectors in Khurda, Cuttack, Deogarh, Jagatsinghpur, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Rayagada, Koraput, Kandhamal, Malkangiri, Angul, and Puri permitted schools to reopen on June 18 with morning classes until June 20.

Schools in Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, and Keonjhar resumed on June 18, continuing morning sessions until June 22. In Balasore and Kendrapada, schools reopened on June 19 with similar morning timings. Nayagarh and Mayurbhanj districts opted for morning classes from June 20 to 22.

The directive for collectors was valid until June 20. The India Meteorological Department forecasts hot and humid conditions in some districts until June 21, with an expected temperature drop of 2-3 degrees Celsius over the next three days as the southwest monsoon advances across the state.