With an intention to give students relief from the sizzling sun heat, the State Government has declared holiday for the students.
But what practically is seen is that students and particularly, the boys are playing cricket in the field daring all odds due to summer. They even bother a little of sunstroke.
The question is who is to be blamedIJ It is normally a fact that the students going to Odia medium schools are from average families. In most of the cases, they are not from highly educated families. In some cases, also their parents are daily labourers or bread earners for the entire family who go out of home at about 8 am. And, thereafter, their children become free to move anywhere and the best place for them is a nearby cricket field.
Further, those children whose fathers are roadside vendors are also seen helping the latter in their business under the open sun. “Holiday has become almost a curse for children like us,” said a children helping his father in a road side Idli shop.
And, many are also seen under the mango trees or some other places except homes. However, it is only girls who are confined inside homes but boys are all open to the sun heat.
Hence, the very purpose of giving relief to the children has been defeated due to the illiterate or busy parents of the poor middleclass families.
In such cases, the parents demand before the Government to keep their children in schools at least up to 9 or 9.30 am in the morning, give them mid day meal (MDM) and then close the school. This can only solve a good purpose, many parents suggested.