More Kerala schools declare holiday for World Cup Final

ALAPPUZHA: Several educational institutions across Kerala have declared a holiday on Monday to allow students and their families to watch the upcoming FIFA World Cup final match between Argentina and Spain.

The management of Manappuram Rajagiri St. Chavara CMI Public School in Alappuzha is the latest to announce a day off, citing the late-night timing of the match. The final is scheduled to kick off at 12:30 a.m. on Monday. Given that the match is expected to conclude around 2:30 a.m., even without stoppages, and potentially later should the game proceed to extra time or a penalty shootout, school officials determined that a holiday would be in the best interest of students and their families.

Prior to this announcement, the Marad Gregorian Public School and three Bhavans schools in Kozhikode had also declared a holiday. Representatives from Bhavans stated that the decision was taken to provide students with the opportunity to enjoy the final alongside their families.

While the trend of declaring holidays is growing among private institutions, the state government has yet to issue a blanket order for all schools. Education Minister N. Shamsudheen acknowledged that his office has received numerous requests from the public seeking a state-wide holiday for the event. However, he clarified that the government has not yet reached a decision on the matter. The Minister expressed concern regarding the loss of academic days, noting that any holiday granted would eventually need to be compensated for with an additional working day. He stated that the government is not currently in a position to provide a definitive response.