CBSE schools must follow June 30 reopening order, demand associations, politicians

Nagpur: As schools across Vidarbha remain shut until June 30 under a Bombay High Court order citing extreme heat, teachers' associations and political functionaries on Wednesday demanded that CBSE-affiliated schools across Vidarbha comply with the HC order.The demand comes amid reports that some CBSE schools in Nagpur and neighbouring districts have already resumed classes for senior students, while others have issued notices announcing reopening from June 15, despite temperatures continuing to hover above 40°C across much of Vidarbha.Vidarbha Junior College Teachers Association general secretary Ashok Gavhankar questioned why CBSE schools should be treated differently from state board institutions. "Are CBSE students robots? Doesn't the sun affect them?" he asked.Gavhankar accused education department officials of disregarding both the court's directions and earlier govt resolutions. "Officials sitting in Pune make a mockery of the court's orders and their own decisions," he said, adding that the absence of strong political leadership in the education department had allowed bureaucratic overreach.Rashtriya Shikshak-Palak Sanghatan national convenor Yogesh Pathare said the issue was particularly serious in Vidarbha because of heatwave conditions. He said he would write to the state education department seeking action against schools that continue to function despite the court's directions."Most schools currently operating are conducting classes for standards 9, 10 and 12. Schools reopening on June 15 has created confusion among parents and students," Pathare said.CBSE Schools Staff Welfare Association (CSSWA) president Deepali Dably said the high court's order left little room for interpretation. "All schools will have to comply. CBSE bylaws clearly state that affiliated schools must follow directions issued by the state's education department," she said.Nagpur city Congress president Prafulla Gudadhe also rejected the argument that the state education department lacked authority over CBSE-affiliated institutions. "CBSE schools cannot reopen before the official date. We will not allow students' health to be compromised, and it is the education department's responsibility to ensure compliance," he said.The issue has gained prominence following the high court's intervention amid concerns over extreme heat conditions across Vidarbha.