Heatwave Holiday of West Bengal: Must Teachers Go to School? Know the Old High Court Ruling & Current Directive As another heatwave prompts the announcement of school holidays in the state, the old question has resurfaced –if students are on leave, do teachers also get the day off? On this matter, alongside the current directive from the Education Department, there is a past High Court ruling that adds to the confusion. Let’s delve into the details.
The Current Situation (2025): The Education Department’s Directive
Due to the intense heatwave, the West Bengal government has ordered the suspension of “teaching-learning activities” in all government and government-sponsored schools on June 13 and 14, 2025. Schools in the hill regions are exempted from this order.
Immediately following this announcement, confusion arose among teachers and non-teaching staff regarding their attendance. To eliminate this ambiguity, the Education Department has explicitly clarified that the suspension of “teaching-learning activities” applies only to students. Teachers and non-teaching staff are required to be present to carry out administrative tasks, including the admission process, preparation of results, and other official work.
The Historical Precedent: What Did the Calcutta High Court Rule?
To understand the present situation, we need to look back at a case from 2015.
- The Incident: From June 8 to June 13, 2015, the state government had ordered the suspension of classes due to a heatwave. However, the authorities of one school issued a show-cause notice to its teachers for being absent during this period and marked them as absent.
- The Court Case: The teachers challenged this decision in the Calcutta High Court (W.P. 25831 (W) OF 2015).
- The High Court’s Ruling: On November 16, 2016, Justice Debangsu Basak delivered a significant judgment in this case. The ruling stated that the term “suspension of classes” in the government circular implies a holiday. Therefore, the school authorities could not treat the teachers as absent. The court set aside the notice issued against the teachers.
Current Directive vs. Past Ruling
So, the question is, why are teachers required to go to school this time, despite the past High Court ruling?
The primary reason lies in the change in the language of the government circular and the proactive approach of the Education Department. The 2015 notification only mentioned “suspension of classes,” which the court interpreted as a ‘holiday.’ However, the current (2025) circular specifies the suspension of “teaching-learning activities,” which refers exclusively to classroom instruction.
Likely learning from past experience, the Education Department has left no room for legal ambiguity this time by clarifying in advance that administrative functions will continue, and teachers must be present for them.
Conclusion
Therefore, despite a past Calcutta High Court ruling in favor of teachers, the current situation is different. The present directive from the Education Department is explicit and binding. Accordingly, while students are on leave, the attendance of teachers and non-teaching staff is mandatory to ensure the smooth running of the school’s administrative work.
