Winter Vacations for Delhi Schools Closed Till 15 January

The Director of Education (DoE) under the NCT of Delhi announced that Delhi schools will remain shut down till January 15 due to extreme cold. This is on the official DoE calendar of winter break; however, there are private institutions that are said to reopen before this date.

All schools in Delhi will be closed until 15 January, which means the schools will follow the planned winter vacation when a serious cold wave shrouds the capital. These dates were already included in the 202526 academic year by the Directorate of Education, but the circumstances have become more pressing when the temperatures drop, and the city is covered by heavy fog.

Safety First in Harsh Weather

Closing schools is based basically on the protection of the health of students. The winter break started on 1 January due to the stringent weather conditions of winter. The temperatures in the morning are extremely low, the mist is extremely thick, and the visibility is considerably low, thus putting the safe commuting of young learners under threat. Cold north-western winds also present a further hindrance to students staying warm during early-morning classes.

This schedule should be followed by all government, aided, and recognised private schools according to the official schedule. Frequent teaching is resumed on 16 January.

Row Over Private Schools

No matter the official directive, a controversy has emerged. Many parents have resorted to social media with complaints that some of the private schools are planning to open before 15 January. The X (previously Twitter) posts about schools in districts like Saket and Vikaspuri have accused the schools of having already reinstated students regardless of the current freezing conditions.

The parents have called upon the government to ensure that the safety guidelines are followed in all institutions, and not just in the government schools. They put more emphasis on health risks such as cough, cold, and respiratory ailments as a major concern in this season, which is the peak of winter.

Regional Impact

Such types of closures are not new to Delhi. The neighboring states have also prolonged or adjusted their winter holidays. Haryana has maintained a school shutdown till 15 January, and Punjab has recently extended its school shutdown to 14 January. Some parts of Uttar Pradesh have also closed down classes to younger students due to the continuous fog.

At least for the moment, students and parents in Delhi are encouraged to be on the alert in terms of official DoE notices, in case the weather requires some other changes in the schedule.