AMARAVATI: The School Education Department announced the implementation of half-day schools across all primary, upper primary, and high schools including government, aided, and private management in Andhra Pradesh from April 1^st onwards till the last working day of the academic year 2022-23.

Apart from the summer season setting in, the education department authorities said the decision was taken as the school working days were cut short this academic year because of COVID. Generally, schools reopen annually on June 12 every year but in the 2021–22 academic year, the classes began in the third week of August due to the COVID third wave, which reduced the number of working days. Under these circumstances, the calendar was adjusted to allow schools to work on certain holidays and to have at least 180 working days. Another aspect was that the syllabus was not yet completed.

The Department of Education hopes to start half-day schools from the first week of next month instead of this month. Schools will continue to work until the end of April.

Summer vacations will be announced from the first week of May. Teachers and staff will be required to attend the duties as the tenth class SSC exams will be held in the month of May.

The officials expect the holidays to be extended until the end of June as the exams are likely to be delayed and schools are expected to reopen from the first week of July this academic year, they said.

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