West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday appealed to private English-medium schools in the state to declare their summer vacation from May 9 in light of the escalating tension between India and Pakistan.

Her request came hours after the Indian armed forces launched missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) under ‘Operation Sindoor’, in retaliation for the massacre of 26 civilians in Pahalgam on April 22.

Talking to reporters, Banerjee said, “My appeal to the English-medium schools is to declare vacation now, from the day of Rabindra Jayanti (May 9), i.e. seven days ahead of the scheduled date, in view of the present situation.”

She clarified that no official directive was being issued, but added, “This is a request to the management of every (private) school who are yet to declare vacation.”

State-run and state-aided schools in West Bengal had already advanced their summer vacation to April 30 due to sweltering heat and humidity, which is expected to continue for a month.

Traditionally, summer holidays begin around May 9 in most schools across the state.

The principals of two well-known private schools told media sources that “According to our academic calendar scheduled earlier, our last working day will be tomorrow (Thursday). We will resume classes by mid-June.”

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