West Bengal: Forcing summer vacation on hill schools has disrupted education, say teachers

NEW DELHI: A fresh conflict has emerged between the West Bengal government and schools operating under the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), after the state education department issued a strict directive insisting on the closure of all schools for summer vacation, even in areas like Darjeeling and Kalimpong, which follow different academic calendars.

The schools were closed as part of closures in border areas during Operation Sindoor, India’s military operation against Pakistan, following the Pahalgam terrorist attack in late April.

As per the state's schedule, summer vacations are currently in effect across West Bengal. However, schools in the GTA-administered hills traditionally observe summer breaks in June-July, to coincide with the region's intense monsoon season, when heavy rainfall, landslides, and transport disruptions often make commuting unsafe for students.

"The schools in Kashmir have opened, so why should the schools in the hills be closed? I don't know what threat they perceive here. We have an academic calendar which is already set, so I don't know why there is such a disruption. There is no need for us to follow what the schools in other areas of Bengal do," said the principal of a government school in Kalimpong, reacting to the West Bengal government’s directive asking all schools to close for summer vacation from May 2025.

North Bengal Hills: No summer vacations

The GTA-administered regions follow a separate school holiday list, sanctioned by the local administration. The West Bengal government’s recent directive appears to override this, reflecting the tensions between regional and state-level administrations.

“It is known that we have never had summer vacations,” said Momamendra Modak, executive director of education, GTA. “Our summer vacation is usually for a week, and during the part of the year when the rains are heavy. When the notification for the summer vacations was put out, the education department of the state GTA was not included in it, because summer vacations in this area are not declared by the school education department, it is done by GTA in the month of July. But this time, when they declared the summer vacation for the plains, after a few days, they extended it, and during that time, they included GTA also.”

The staff are now concerned that the vacation now will mean a shorter winter-break, said a teacher at a government-aided school in Darjeeling, requesting anonymity.

According to Dewakar Shanker, assistant teacher, Tindharia Higher Secondary School, Darjeeling, some institutions in the hills had partially reopened, albeit for limited hours, citing academic urgency brought about by recent changes in the curriculum and the introduction of a semester system for Classes 11 and 12.

“In the interest of students’ studies, some schools were open for an hour or two. But this was not in defiance — it was to ensure syllabus completion,” Shanker said.

Show-cause notices, online classes

However, the state government viewed this as a violation of its official order declaring summer holidays. Following reports of partial reopening, a new directive was issued, warning of strict action against any institution found conducting physical classes. Some schools were served show-cause notices.

“We have our own academic calendar in the GTA area, and our holidays are typically aligned with the monsoon period,” Shanker explained. “But after the latest government order, all schools are now shut. Some of us have shifted to online classes to keep the academic momentum going.”

Though the schools are officially closed, several are still holding classes online, particularly for senior students. “Even during the vacations, we are taking online classes — we’re not exactly enjoying a holiday,” Shanker added.

The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), overseeing the hill regions of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Kurseong, has also long grappled with a significant shortage of qualified teachers in its schools. This issue has been exacerbated by the absence of a functional School Service Commission (SSC) dedicated to the hills since 1999, with only one SSC exam conducted in the region and no teacher recruitment since 2000.