Kerala students get holiday to enjoy FIFA World Cup final

The Kerala government declared a holiday on Monday for schools, colleges and professional institutions to allow students to watch the FIFA World Cup final. The decision followed requests from football enthusiasts and concerns over late-night travel and sleep disruption

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government declared a holiday on Monday for all schools and higher educational institutions in view of the FIFA World Cup final, officials said on Sunday. The officials said the decision was taken after considering requests from students who are football enthusiasts and wished to watch the World Cup final on Sunday night.

General Education Minister N Samsudheen announced the holiday for schools through his social media accounts. “Happy now, children?” the minister wrote. “Considering the request of students who are football enthusiasts, the Kerala General Education Department has declared a holiday on Monday (July 20) for all schools under the department in view of the FIFA World Cup final to be played after midnight tonight,” he said.

---

State Higher Education Minister Roji M John also announced, in a social media post, a holiday for colleges and professional educational institutions on Monday.

“On the occasion of the FIFA World Cup final, as per the direction of the Chief Minister, a holiday is declared for higher education institutions in Kerala, including professional colleges on Monday,” he said.

He said that the holiday is being announced to provide our students with an opportunity to enjoy the World Cup final-which starts at 12:30 am IST-with full enthusiasm and to avoid any subsequent travel difficulties.

“Let’s thoroughly enjoy the final!” he said. In a Facebook post, Chief Minister V D Satheesan said the decision was taken after students raised concerns over attending classes after staying up late to watch the World Cup match.

He noted that if the match ended in regulation time, it would conclude around 2.30 am, while extra time and a penalty shootout could extend it further.

“Children were asking how they could go to school after losing sleep watching the match. In this situation, the government has decided to declare a holiday for all educational institutions in the state, including professional colleges,” he said.

Describing Kerala’s passion for football as “unmatched”, the Chief Minister said football lovers in the state had set an example for the world with their enthusiasm for the sport.

He urged everyone to enjoy the Argentina-Spain World Cup final and wished that the spirit of football continued to thrive. Earlier, CPI(M) leader and former Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty had urged the state government to declare a holiday for all schools on Monday in view of the FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain.

Sivankutty said the final, scheduled to begin late on Sunday night, was expected to continue into the early hours of Monday, making it difficult for students to reach schools on time.

He also suggested that the lost working day could be compensated by declaring a Saturday, which is otherwise a holiday, as a working day. Several UDF leaders had also made similar requests for a holiday.

General Education Minister N Samsudheen, Higher Education Minister Roji M John and Sports Minister O J Janeesh are also known football enthusiasts and have regularly posted messages on social media expressing support for their favourite teams during the FIFA World Cup.