Oct. 1: All government schools have been asked to stay open and organise campus events on Gandhi Jayanti falling tomorrow, cutting Puja vacation short by a day.

Normally, schools are closed on Gandhi Jayanti, a national holiday. But, this time, principals of state-run schools have been asked to host programmes on Swachh Bharat Mission, Gandhian ideals, education of the girl child and other socially relevant programmes to mark the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

However, the directive, issued on August 30 by Jharkhand Education Project Council (JEPC), does not seem to have percolated efficiently across all districts.

In Ranchi, where there are 2,300 government schools, principals received the missive on time and the deputy commissioner gave a reminder of the JEPC order on September 26. Dhanbad, with 1,400 state-run schools, also knew on time, said district school superintendent Vineet Singh.

In East Singhbhum, with over 2,100 schools, however, district education officer R.K.P. Singh said they came to know on September 27, two days after government schools closed on September 25.

'Initially, all schools were supposed to re-open on October 3. But, on September 27, the department of school education and literacy issued a notice to 139 high schools and 2,000 primary and middle schools, asking for compulsory participation of students on Gandhi Jayanti,' he said.

Singh added, 'We know making last-minute arrangements can be difficult, still we want schools to give it a try.'

Headmasters in Jamshedpur and nearby expressed misgivings about student turnout tomorrow. 'It would have been better if the notice reached us before schools closed for holidays. We could have planned something creative,' said the principal of a high school in Baradwari, Jamshedpur.

Echoed a teacher of a middle school in Potka, 'We weren't informed notice earlier. No student would like to attend school on a national holiday. It's hard to organise something in such a hurry.'

Ranchi principals said otherwise. Karamtoli middle school principal Asha Kumari said there was no confusion. 'We all knew from the start that we had to organise a Gandhi Jayanti programme. Our children are prepared.