Patna, Dec. 14: Mercury slipping, tender hearts are shivering every morning. No way they can beat the chill. They have to start early — any time between 6.45am and 7.45am — to reach school on time.

With the temperature hovering around 10°C at 7 this morning — the lowest of the day, the district administration’s order to schools yesterday to not to start classes before 8am hardly gave any warmth to students. Even if classes started at 8am, they had to leave home at least by 7.30am, shivering in cold.

The cold morning and dense fog have compelled students and their parents demand further delay in commencement of classes. They did not want school closure, though.

Stuti Gupta, a Class XI student of St Joseph’s Convent High School, told The Telegraph: “We face a lot of difficulty in waking up and getting ready. It’s an arduous task to get ready in shivering cold conditions. Dense fog compounds our misery.”

Gupta said the schools should not be closed before the scheduled vacation but the timing should be tweaked. She added: “Our school starts at 8am, which could be extended by an hour at least. This will bring relief to us.”

Shivani Anand, a guardian echoed similar views. Anand’s daughter, Srishti, studies in lower kindergarten of Isomer-The Play School.

Shivani said: “My residence is near the school but still my daughter finds it tough to get up in the morning because of the cold. Her classes start at 9am but I think it could be delayed by an hour. In this way, Srishti will get time to be ready for school. Being a mother, I have to do everything — right from waking her up to getting her ready. I have to prepare breakfast also. If the school starts a little later, I will also get adequate time to manage everything properly” Shivani said.

She stresses the class timing should be changed but the school should not be closed.

DPS, Patna, which starts at 6.30am (for the senior wing), changed its timing from today. The classes started at 8am, following the district administration’s order.

Suyash Raj, a Class XI student of the DPS, Patna, is happy with the new timing. But he would be happier if classes start at 9am.

Raj, who stays far away from the school, has to wake up around 5 in the morning. He said: “It’s good that the school timing has been changed but it should be delayed by one hour more. We have to face lot of problems in getting ready in this cold weather. Sometimes, I do not feel like getting up.”

Raj added that he not only has to force himself out of bed every morning but also has to wait at the bus stand shivering in cold.

Raj said: “The schools should start at 9am because even if the school starts at 8am, it makes no difference. It is still very cold at that time.”