Schools in Delhi transitioned back to a hybrid learning model on Monday, following orders from the Delhi Education Department due to the city’s worsening air quality. Under Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), classes for students except those in Classes 10 and 12 are now conducted online wherever feasible, marking the second such shift within a month.
Delhi’s air quality breached the 400 mark on December 16, prompting authorities to reinstate pollution-related curbs. While schools initially switched to hybrid learning on November 25, they had resumed offline classes by December 5 before the latest disruption.
Despite the hybrid model, many schools reported a preference among parents and students for physical classes. Madhavi Goswami, principal of Cambridge School, Srinivaspuri, noted a marked increase in attendance for offline sessions, especially for primary and middle school students. She highlighted measures like suspending outdoor activities and ensuring indoor assemblies to mitigate pollution exposure.
Mamta Modern School also saw a high turnout for physical classes, with principal Pallavi Sharma reporting nearly 100% attendance among juniors. However, some asthmatic students in senior grades opted for online learning due to health concerns.
Several private school principals raised concerns about the impact of repeated transitions between online and offline modes. Alka Kapur, principal of Modern Public School, Shalimar Bagh, lamented that these disruptions reduced the academic calendar from 220 to 180 days, affecting the quality of education. She added that online classes fail to replicate the effectiveness of in-person teaching.
Tania Joshi, principal of Indian School, highlighted challenges in managing hybrid classes, citing connectivity issues and difficulties in maintaining student engagement. Frequent hoax bomb threats and pollution curbs further disrupted school operations, she said.
Government schools reported similar challenges but faced additional issues related to resource availability. Bhumika Sharma, vice principal of Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Karawal, noted that some students lack smartphones, leading to group study arrangements in neighborhoods. She added that teachers often provide extra online classes after school hours to ensure no student is left behind.
Alok Kumar, head of Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya, Vivek Vihar, emphasized the importance of physical classes for underprivileged students. Besides educational concerns, he highlighted that mid-day meals, a vital support for many students, are disrupted when classes are held online.
With pollution curbs continuing to disrupt normalcy, schools are striving to strike a balance between ensuring students’ safety and maintaining the quality of education. However, challenges persist, particularly for teachers managing dual modes and students from disadvantaged backgrounds who lack access to necessary resources.
