Goa CM Pramod Sawant confirms school reopening dates despite parent protests

Despite the aggrieved parents protesting at the Directorate of Education, Porvorim on Monday, accusing the Goa government of imposing the Centre’s ‘diktats’ on them, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday said that schools will reopen as per the dates announced by the Education Department.

“Schools will reopen as per the date declared by the Education Department,” he told mediapersons at Mantralaya at Porvorim, despite the matter still pending in the High Court of Bombay at Goa.

The Directorate of Education has announced that from the academic year 2025-26, the new academic session for Class VI to X and Class XII will commence from April 1 in all government, government-aided, and unaided recognised schools across the State.

In a circular, Director of Education Shailesh Sinai Zingde has stated that classes for these grades will be conducted in April until 11.30 am.

Students will then have their summer vacation from May 1 to June 3, with schools resuming regular timings from June 4, 2025.

However, this is being opposed by many parents across the State. Recently, the aggrieved parents had protested at the Directorate of Education, Porvorim.

They had demanded that the decision to reopen the schools from April 1, 2025, be withdrawn immediately.

Some parents have filed a writ petition in the High Court of Bombay at Goa, challenging the decision of the Education Department, stating there was no proper consultative process involving the stakeholders and no debate before implementing the new academic year.

The High Court issued notices to the Union Ministry of Education and Goa government in connection with a writ petition filed by a group of parents challenging the commencement of the Academic Year 2025-26 from April 1 for Class VI to X, instead of the first week of June.