Students shield themselves from the scorching sun in Visakhapatnam. FILE PHOTO
| Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO
With the Andhra Pradesh State government yet to issue orders on postponing the reopening of schools, it has become clear that educational institutions across the State will resume classes as scheduled on June 12, drawing criticism from a section of parents concerned about soaring temperatures and heatwave conditions across several districts, including Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli.For the past few weeks, temperatures in many parts of the State have remained above 40° C, with some areas touching 43° C on multiple occasions. On June 11, Akkireddipalem recorded 41° C, while Gajuwaka, Simhachalam and other areas reported temperatures around 39° C. The intense heat has raised concerns among parents about the safety of school children, particularly those in primary and pre-primary classes.Many parents had expected the State government to review the situation and postpone the reopening of schools, similar to neighbouring Telangana, which recently extended the summer vacation and rescheduled classes to June 15 due to severe weather conditionsPublic representatives like BJP MLA Visakhapatnam North and Floor Leader of the BJP in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, P. Vishnu Kumar Raju, have urged the government to consider delaying the reopening of schools in the interest of students’ well-being.Apart from concerns related to heat, parents also pointed to the inconvenience of a mid-week reopening. They felt that schools reopening after the weekend, would have allowed families returning from their native places time to settle.“We were waiting for an announcement from the government on postponement. With no update, we planned to return over the weekend and prepare our children for school. After Telangana delayed schools reopening, we expected a similar decision in A.P.,” said R. Rajeswari, a resident of Gajuwaka and native of Palasa.School timings have also raised concerns, particularly those institutions functioning between 8.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m, as students would be travelling home during peak heat hours.“Even adults are finding it difficult to travelling in this heat. It is hard to imagine how young children, especially nursery and primary school students, will manage,” said K. Harika, a private employee from Visakhapatnam.Despite these concerns, schools in the city have proceeded with preparations for the new academic year. Many institutions have distributed textbooks, uniforms and other study materials to students ahead of the reopening on June 12. Published - June 11, 2026 09:09 pm IST
