The Directorate of School Education, West Bengal, has extended the ongoing summer vacation for all government-aided and sponsored educational institutions across the state, excluding schools located in the hill areas. According to the latest official notification issued by the School Education Department, schools will now remain closed till May 31, 2026, and classes will resume on June 1, 2026.
The order applies to primary, upper primary, secondary, and higher secondary educational institutions functioning under the state government’s aided and sponsored categories. The summer vacation had originally commenced on May 11, 2026. However, the School Education Department decided to extend the break further in view of prevailing weather conditions across several districts in the state.
The official notice instructed authorities concerned to issue necessary orders for implementation of the extended vacation schedule. Educational institutions situated in hill regions have been kept outside the purview of this directive.
Officials stated that the decision to extend the vacation period was taken to prioritise the health and well-being of students amid the intense heat. The revised schedule increases the duration of the summer break to a total of 21 days for affected institutions across the state.
While the directive is mandatory for government-aided and sponsored institutions, reports suggested that private schools may continue to follow their own academic calendars and schedules depending on their management decisions.
The development also comes at a time when several states across the country have either advanced summer vacations or modified school timings due to heatwave conditions. Educational authorities in different regions have been taking precautionary measures to minimise student exposure to extreme daytime temperatures during the peak summer season.