Kendriya Vidyalayas skip Xmas holiday

Mita Mukherjee and Basant Mohanty, TT,  Dec 25, 2017, Calcutta/ New Delhi: Students from Classes IX to XII missed their Christmas holiday at the 62-odd Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan schools in the Calcutta region, attending special coaching classes for their board exams.

Although the KVS, which began 10 days of these classes from Sunday cancelling the winter break, had made attendance optional on Christmas Day, almost everyone turned up.

"Attendance of students, teachers and other staff was normal and up to expectations in almost every institution," said an assistant commissioner of the Sangathan's Calcutta region, which covers Bengal and Sikkim.

But teachers and students from several schools expressed unhappiness at being dragged to class on Christmas Day. "I'm not against skipping the winter vacation but they shouldn't have included December 25 in the schedule," a teacher told The Telegraph.

Another teacher said: "I don't know if there's a hidden agenda behind holding classes on Christmas. I didn't want to come today but since we were told the coaching was meant mainly for the weak students, as a responsible teacher I could not skip class."

A KVS source said two teachers were allowed to report at noon and attend only the second half since they had to be in church in the morning.

In 2014, the Narendra Modi government had decided to observe December 25 as Good Governance Day at schools, triggering protests.

KVS commissioner Santosh Mall said the organisation's Delhi headquarters had not issued any instructions to suspend the winter vacation or hold classes on Christmas or New Year. "Some regional offices may have decided this," he said.

A principal said: "Parents of many of students who are weak in some subjects are not educated enough to coach them at home, and cannot afford private tuition, either. The special classes are mainly for these students."