People exercising at Kartavya Path in central Delhi on Wednesday, even as the air quality continued to remain in the ‘severe’ category.
| Photo Credit: ANI
On Wednesday, the first day of the hybrid learning for students up to grade 5, many private schools conducted their classes online. However, the transition was not as smooth in the Delhi government-run schools, where a large number of students lack access to smartphones, said the principals.
A day earlier, the Directorate of Education (DoE) issued a circular directing schools to conduct classes till Class 5 in hybrid mode (physical or online mode, which feasible), following the enforcement of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage III by the Commission for Air Quality Management in the NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) after the air quality dipped to the ‘severe’ category for the first time this winter.
Sudha Acharya, principal of ITL Public School in Dwarka, said, “We have given students the option of attending classes online. However, most students turned up to class because parents say that the school is in Delhi, and they are exposed to harmful air either way.” Principals of several other schools also said that they have the necessary infrastructure to conduct online classes and share the links with students.
Digital divide
A Delhi government school principal stated that many of their students lack access to devices for online classes, and the issue has been a source of concern since the pandemic.
“We tried to make arrangements for online classes in the past, but they were not successful because students lack the means to join classes online. While most households own smartphones now, parents take the phones with them while going to work,” said the principal, adding that, as an alternative, they circulate homework on WhatsApp groups for students who opt for the online mode.
Another Delhi government school principal said that while online attendance improves marginally every year, many students still report to school with burning eyes and a dry cough due to the lack of online access.
Aprajita Gautam, the Delhi Parents’ Association president, said the digital divide comes to the fore each winter. “Many parents, especially of those children who have asthma or other breathing-related problems, are of the opinion that the same rules that apply to students till Class 5 must be applied to all students because pollution impacts everyone, irrespective of their age.”
“Given the annual phenomenon, the academic calendar should be reworked and students should be given 15 days of leave during winter,” she added.
No let-up in air quality
Meanwhile, Delhi’s overall air quality remained ‘severe’ for the second day on Wednesday. As per official data, the air quality is likely to improve to the ‘very poor’ category on Thursday. ‘Severe’ category air “affects healthy people and seriously impacts those with existing diseases”, according to the Central Pollution Control Board.
Published – November 13, 2025 08:48 am IST
