The Kerala General Education Department on Sunday declared a holiday for all schools under its jurisdiction on Monday in view of the FIFA World Cup 2026 final.
According to officials, the decision was taken after receiving requests from football-loving students who wanted to watch the World Cup final on Sunday night.
The holiday will apply to all schools functioning under the General Education Department, an official statement said.
School holiday in Kerala
General Education Minister N Samsudheen also announced the decision 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.
Holiday demand gained political support
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 school 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.
Ministers back football fever
General Education Minister N Samsudheen, Higher Education Minister Roji M John and Sports Minister O J Janeesh are all known football enthusiasts and have regularly posted messages on social media expressing support for their favourite teams during the FIFA World Cup.
