West Bengal School Education Department Issues Urgent Directive on Heatwave and Disaster Management

The West Bengal School Education Department has issued a significant directive outlining several crucial measures to tackle the upcoming monsoon floods and protect students from the ongoing heatwave. The notification, dated June 11, 2025, has been sent to the District Inspectors of Schools (Primary and Secondary) across all districts of the state.

What Does the Directive Say?

The notification primarily emphasizes two main points:

1. Use of Schools as Flood Shelters:

Schools have been instructed to be prepared to have their premises used as temporary flood shelters during the monsoon season or any natural calamity. School authorities are required to provide all necessary cooperation to the District Administration as needed. This step is based on a decision made at the “Monsoon Preparedness Review Meeting” chaired by the Chief Secretary on May 16, 2025. This will ensure that affected people have a safe place to take refuge during a natural disaster.

2. Suspension of Sports Activities Due to Heatwave:

Considering the health of students amid the severe heatwave across the state, an urgent instruction has been given. The circular states that any form of physical exercise or sports must be avoided at schools during the day, especially around noon. This precaution has been mandated to ensure that students are not directly exposed to the harsh sun. The directive is to be treated as “extremely urgent.”

This directive has been approved by the Commissioner of School Education, and copies have been forwarded to several key departments, including the Disaster Management Department and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. This clearly indicates that the state government is taking a proactive stance on both advance preparation for natural disasters and the health and safety of its students.