The Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) has allowed schools in Delhi to reopen classes from 1 to 5 from Monday December 27, 2021. Higher classes starting 6 were already allowed to resume from December 18 for offline teaching.
Schools in Delhi that had reopened on November 1 were shut early this month due to a spike in air pollution levels in the National Capital Region (NCR). Following reports of a slight improvement in pollution levels, the Commission later allowed classes to resume for in-person classes in a phased manner. “Taking into consideration the submissions made and in light of improvement of the Air Quality Index of Delhi from ‘Severe’ to ‘Very Poor’ category, the Commission… directed… to allow re-opening of schools and educational institutions in a phased manner,” the Commission said last week.
CAQM, a statutory authority set up by the Central government, has overarching powers to order measures to control air pollution in the Delhi NCR as well as adjoining areas that lie in the states of Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.
The decision to reopen Delhi schools for all classes also comes in the wake of a Twitter campaign last month by parents demanding the same. Many parents flagged the dangers of keeping schools shut for students for longer periods saying it causes irreparable damage to young minds including learning deficiencies as well as behaviour changes.
Maharashtra schools may shut again, says minister
Meanwhile in Mumbai, schools that had reopened on December 15 might be ordered to be shut again in view of rising Covid cases led by the Omicron variant, Maharashtra school education minister Varsha Gaikwad said. “If Omicron cases continue to rise, we may take a call to shut the schools again. We are monitoring the situation,” news agency ANI reported the minister as saying.
The minister’s comments were in the context of 52 students of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district testing positive for Covid-19. The school has been sealed and the area has been declared a containment zone.
Before deciding to open classes this month, the Maharasthra government had conducted a survey among parents to know their opinion. More than 70% parents said they want the schools to be reopened.