Ahmedabad: The morning downpour disrupted classes and exams at several schools on Friday. Students who had reached campus before the rain intensified were caught in the sudden change in weather. Schools contacted parents, adjusted academic schedules and arranged early departures. The disruption was particularly difficult for children who had to make their own way home through the rain.Most schools begin classes between 7am and 8am. There was little rain when students reached school early in the morning, but it intensified around 7.15am, triggering waterlogging and traffic jams across several parts of the city.Many schools then sent students home. Several parents had to leave work and rush to school to pick up their children.
“We decided to postpone the exams for students in the pre-primary and primary sections and give them the day off. However, students from Classes VI to XII had reached school before the rainfall started. So, they took their half-yearly exams and left school by 11.30am,” said Padma Kumar, principal of SGVP International School.Sabina Sawhney, principal of DPS Bopal, said, “The school remained open as senior students were already on campus. They took their exams and left around 11am. We monitored the waterlogging situation and stayed in touch with parents. The school declared a holiday for students from junior KG to Class V.”The Ahmedabad city district education officer (DEO) advised schools in the East and West zones to prioritise student safety and take decisions based on local conditions. Schools in areas facing heavy rain, waterlogging or hazardous commuting conditions were told to assess whether academic activities should continue.The advisory also directed schools to make safe arrangements for students who had already reached campus but needed to return home. Principals were asked to coordinate with parents and consider road safety and commuting conditions while deciding whether to summon or dismiss students.At some schools, students who had travelled on their own also had to leave amid the heavy rain. Several students got drenched while making their way home.HB Kapadia School and St Xavier’s initially kept classes running but sent messages to parents around 9am about the situation.Amit Patel had dropped off his daughter at her school in Navrangpura before leaving for work. He received a message from the school around 9am and had to turn back midway to pick up his daughter.Photo quotes:The students were already at school when the rainfall began. By the time the SA One exams were over, the downpour had stopped, and the children were able to go home. There was no chaos or confusion— Pragya Pandya, assistant director, St Kabir SchoolWe had school for Classes I to VIII, while the parent-teacher meeting for Classes IX and XII also went smoothly. Pre-primary students got a holiday. Some parents came to school, and we allowed them to take their wards home— Sonal Narang, senior vice-principal, Anand Niketan
