The Delhi government has declared that the city’s schools for physical classes for classes 6 and above will reopen with effect from 18 December. The decision came after the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) allowed the reopening of schools in Delhi and NCR in a phased manner.
According to sources, the commission’s decision came a day after it submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court on the action taken against pollution in the city and the NCR.
The CAQM stated through its affidavit, “The representations put forth by various project proponents and associations in the building and construction/ demolition sector, as also by the association of schools/educational institutions are under active examination and consideration by the commission and a decision on these would also be
taken soon on or before December 17, based on the impact of the relaxations given above.”
The CAQM has allowed the resumption of physical classes in all government and private schools, colleges and other educational institutions. But in the first phase, only students of class 6 and above will be allowed to attend classes in their schools.
The schools can reopen for classes up to the fifth standard from 27 December.
An official statement said, “State Governments of NCR and GNCTD may take a decision for resumption of physical classes, for students up to V standard, only w.e.f. 27th December, 2O21, duly considering the Air Quality Index (AQI) and the winter vacation scheme.”
An acute pollution situation had led to physical classes in Delhi schools remaining suspended for most of the days in November. The Delhi government decided to reopen the schools for physical classes from 29 November onwards. But it suspended the physical classes again on 2 December when the Supreme Court observed that while the Delhi government had allowed work-from-home for the office-going public, its decision to reopen the schools amounted to exposing children to pollution-caused hazards.