Delhi Air Pollution: Schools In Delhi-NCR To Adopt Hybrid Mode For Classes Up To 12Th Grade Amid 'Very Poor' Category

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Following the Supreme Court's call for a review of restrictions on physical classes due to air pollution, the Centre's air quality panel instructed schools and colleges in Delhi-NCR on Monday to switch to a "hybrid" mode for classes up to 12th standard.

Poor air quality, exacerbated by unfavorable weather conditions, typically lasts for extended periods during winter, from November to January.

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During this season, Delhi frequently experiences air quality levels that trigger strict measures under the third and fourth stages of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which severely disrupt the education system and impact the quality of learning.

In a statement, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) noted that most primary schools in Delhi and other National Capital Region (NCR) areas lack the resources to conduct classes entirely online.

It said the students of Classes 10 and 12, along with their school authorities, are the hardest hit by the stage-4 restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). These students are required to attend physical classes for practical lessons, tests and extra tutorials needed for board and competitive examinations, it said.

The panel directed the state governments to ensure that all classes up to standard 12 as well as college and other educational institution classes are conducted in a "hybrid" mode -- both physical and online -- wherever feasible. This applies to the NCT of Delhi and the NCR districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar.

"The option to exercise an online mode of education, wherever available, shall vest with the students and their guardians," it said.

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