PANAJI
The High Court of Bombay at Goa has cleared the decks for the commencement of the new academic year 2025-26 for Classes VI to X and XII from April 7, dismissing petition filed by parents and activists who had challenged the early reopening.
The Division Bench of Justice Bharati Dangre and Justice Nivedita Mehta on Friday rejected the contention that the government had acted in haste while accepting the State government’s argument that the decision was already in the public domain and had undergone due consultation.
“This was in the public domain for a long time. In January, a circular was issued and discussions were held at the taluka level involving various stakeholders including teachers and the parents’ community. Their views and suggestions were scrutinized and reviewed by the screening committee before the decision was finalized in the interest of students,” the Court said, referring to the government’s submission.
Advocate General Devidas Pangam, representing the government, explained that the shift was necessary to meet the academic goals set under the National Education Policy (NEP).
“As per the new policy, every academic year must include 1,200 instructional hours. In recent years, schools could only manage around 1,045 hours. Meeting the NEP’s requirement was not feasible under the old schedule,” Pangam said, the submission accepted by the Court.
Petitioners had also raised concerns about inadequate infrastructure and logistical challenges for students. However, the Court noted that boards like ICSE and CBSE begin their academic sessions in March and have their summer breaks in May.
“This has been the practice for years in other education boards, and it has not caused harm to students. The new academic schedule is feasible and will not prejudice students in any way,” the Bench observed.
The Court directed the government to follow the revised school timing of 8 am to 11:30 am until the end of the month, ahead of the month-long summer holidays. The full-fledged school timing will resume in June.
