The State Government declared holiday for Muharram on November 15, but many schools and colleges in Chhattisgarh remained closed a day earlier as the information did not reach there on time, officials said.
The school and college authorities announced holiday for Muharram on Thursday before the State Government instruction reached them. As a result many education institutions did not celebrate the Children’s Day. November 14 is celebrated as a Children’s Day every year in the country to commemorate the birth anniversary of India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
large number of schools and colleges, however, remained empty as the children did not come to school. Some of them also joined the election campaign. The Municipal Corporation had organised a special function at Gandhi Uddyan on the occasion but witnessed poor turnout. Similarly a teacher of Saraswati higher secondary school at Nayapara said the children were invited to participate in the song competition but no one came to the school. Similarly the Nibedita School at Guru Nanak Chowk had no attendance.
The teachers who were present in the school said students did not come to the schools because they were confused over the Government decision. Earlier Nov 14 used to be holiday but the government declared the holiday a day after. Since no student was present in the school, the Children’s Day could not be observed they said. The other schools which did not observe the Children’s Day due to non attendance of students include Dani School and Hindu high school.
The JN Pandey school however celebrated the occasion only on a customary basis as the attendance was thin. While the children’s day was not celebrated in many schools, the tiny tots, however, were seen actively participating in the election campaign.