The school, decked up in CPM colours. (Gour Sharma)

Asansol, Sept. 30: A high school here had an extra holiday on September 24 as the local CPM unit held a conference.

Political meetings in educational institutions are banned. But the headmaster of Sripur Hat High School in Jamuria and the party leaders claimed ignorance of the law.

The headmaster also said the holiday was announced because teachers had to attend a training programme. “That the CPM requested us to allow the meeting on the same day was a coincidence,” said Jaladhar Jha.

Only eight of the 22 schoolteachers had to go for the training, though.

The All Bengal Teachers’ Association, which had organised the training programme, said it was held after school hours. The school gives over at 1.30pm on Saturdays.

“School premises cannot be used for political purposes, even on holidays. I will seek a report from the headmaster,” said Tapan Basu, the Burdwan inspector of schools.

CPM supporters took over the Jamuria school, about 240km from Calcutta, early in the morning and put up party flags and banners all over the place. A kitchen was set up to cook meals for around 195 party members.

One classroom was the venue of the local committee’s conference and another the dining hall for invitees.

The conference continued till the evening and no one except party members were allowed inside.

The same day, industries minister Nirupam Sen and infotech minister Debesh Das said at a school in Panagarh, 50km away, how the government was stressing the need to create an attractive ambience in schools to make them popular among students.

Deepak Mondal, the Jamuria CPM local committee secretary, said: “We didn’t force the school to declare a holiday. It was the school’s decision.”

He claimed he did not know that such programmes inside schools were banned.