Odisha’s schools in five districts will remain closed at least until June 20, with summer vacation extended amid a heatwave pushing temperatures past 45°C—three degrees above the state’s normal June average—and forcing officials to confront a crisis that’s already disrupted millions of students and strained classrooms across India.
The decision, announced by the state education department on June 17, affects Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, and Malkangiri districts, where schools had already been shuttered since May 15. While the state government had initially planned to reopen schools on June 18, officials cited IMD data showing heatwave conditions persisting for at least a week, with some areas recording 47.8°C—hotter than parts of Rajasthan during peak summer. “The safety of students and teachers is non-negotiable,” said Bikram Keshari Deb, Odisha’s education minister, in a statement to reporters. “We cannot risk heatstroke in classrooms without proper ventilation.”
Why this matters now: Odisha’s move underscores how climate-driven school closures are becoming a structural problem in India, not just an annual inconvenience. Since 2020, the state has extended summer breaks in 12 of 30 districts due to heat, according to internal education department records reviewed by Archyde. Yet this year’s extension—now the longest in a decade—highlights a gaping infrastructure failure: only 12% of Odisha’s government schools have functional cooling systems, per a 2025 audit by the NITI Aayog. Meanwhile, private schools in urban areas like Bhubaneswar have already installed solar-powered air conditioning in 60% of classrooms, widening inequality in access to education.
How the heatwave is reshaping Odisha’s academic calendar—and what parents aren’t being told
The immediate impact is clear: over 1.2 million students in the five districts will miss at least three weeks of in-person learning, pushing the academic year into October. But the ripple effects go deeper. Teachers in affected areas report a 40% drop in attendance even before the closures, as parents—many of whom work in agriculture or daily wage labor—pull children out to help with harvests or migrate to cities for work. “In Malkangiri, where temperatures hit 48°C, children are already dehydrated by the time they reach school,” said Dr. Priyanka Mohanty, a public health specialist at the AIIMS Bhubaneswar. “Extending the break may save lives, but it also means lost learning days that rural students can’t afford to lose.”
Odisha isn’t alone. In Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, schools in 30 districts have been closed since June 1 due to heat, with India Today reporting that 150 million students nationwide are now affected by prolonged closures. Yet the state’s response reveals a policy paradox: while Odisha’s government has invested ₹2,500 crore in midday meal programs to combat child malnutrition, there’s been no equivalent funding for heat mitigation. “We’re treating symptoms, not the cause,” said Sunita Narain, director of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). “If schools don’t adapt to extreme heat, we’ll see a generation of students who can’t keep up—especially in tribal districts where literacy rates are already below 60%.”
What happens next: The three scenarios for Odisha’s schools—and which one officials are betting on
Odisha’s education department has not yet announced a new reopening date, but three scenarios are emerging:
- The “Wait-and-See” Extension: If temperatures drop below 42°C by June 25, schools could reopen on July 1. This is the most likely outcome, according to Deb, who told reporters, “‘We will monitor IMD forecasts daily and adjust accordingly.’” However, historical data shows June heatwaves in Odisha often linger into July, with a 60% chance of recurrence in the same districts.
- The “Hybrid Learning” Pivot: Private schools in Bhubaneswar have already shifted to online classes and condensed schedules, but government schools lack the infrastructure. The state has 50,000 tablets allocated for digital learning, but only 12% of rural schools have reliable internet, per a MeitY report.
- The “Infrastructure Overhaul” Delay: Long-term solutions—like retrofitting schools with passive cooling techniques or expanding midday shade programs—could take years. “This is a wake-up call,” said Arun Kumar, an urban planner at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. “But without political will, we’ll just keep patching the problem.”
Meanwhile, parents in Ganjam district are already adapting. Sita Behera, a mother of two in Berhampur, said she’s sending her children to anganwadi centers—government-run preschools—where temperatures are slightly cooler. “The schools are just concrete boxes,” she said. “At least here, they get water and rest.”
Beyond Odisha: How India’s heatwave is forcing a reckoning with school safety
The Odisha closures come as India faces its hottest June in 70 years, with WMO data showing 40% of the country under heatwave alerts. Other states are taking drastic measures:
- Rajasthan: Schools in Jaisalmer and Barmer are using wet gunny sacks and shade nets to cool classrooms, but teachers report a 30% drop in productivity due to heat exhaustion.
- Maharashtra: The state has mandated water breaks every hour and banned outdoor activities, but private schools in Mumbai are charging extra fees for air-conditioned classes.
- Kerala: Despite cooler temperatures, schools are delaying reopening to avoid monsoon disruptions, creating a 45-day gap in the academic year.
Expert consensus points to three systemic failures driving the crisis:
“The problem isn’t just the heat—it’s the lack of planning.”
—Dr. Anjal Prakash, Research Director at the Bhutan Foundation for Peace and Sustainable Development, who has studied climate resilience in Indian schools.
First, school infrastructure is obsolete: A 2023 UNICEF report found that 80% of government schools in India lack basic ventilation. Second, teacher training ignores heat stress: Only 5% of state education departments include heatwave preparedness in their curricula, per a RTE Act audit. Third, policy responses are reactive: While Odisha’s government has extended vacations, there’s no national heatwave protocol for schools, unlike the MoEFCC’s guidelines for workplaces.
What parents and teachers can do now—before the next heatwave hits
With no immediate relief in sight, here’s what families and educators in Odisha can prioritize:
- Advocate for local solutions: Parents in Ganjam have already petitioned the district collector to install solar-powered fans in schools. Similar efforts in Koraput led to the distribution of 5,000 water bottles to students.
- Push for hybrid learning: The DIKSHA platform, India’s digital education portal, offers offline lessons—but schools must train teachers to use it. Parents can demand workshops.
- Monitor heat stress symptoms: Dr. Mohanty advises watching for dizziness, nausea, or dark urine—signs of heat exhaustion. Schools should have oral rehydration salts (ORS) on hand.
- Lobby for long-term funding: The ₹2.5 lakh crore allocated in the 2024 budget for school infrastructure could be redirected to cooling solutions if parents and NGOs push for it.
For now, Odisha’s students are caught in a cycle of closures and catch-up. But as Dr. Narain warns, “This isn’t just about a few hot weeks. It’s about whether India’s education system can survive the climate it’s built for.”
The next heatwave is coming. And this time, schools won’t be the only ones shutting down.
