Air pollution is choking the national capital of Delhi, and in view of worsening air quality, the Delhi government has issued several instructions to schools on how to hold classes.
On Monday evening, the Directorate of Education issued a circular, revising orders from an earlier one and directing that classes for students from nursery to Class V should be held exclusively in the online mode.
"In view of the prevailing high AQI levels in Delhi, it has been decided that classes in physical modes for students of Nursery to Class V are discontinued until further orders for all Government, Government Aided, and Unaided Private Recognized Schools of Delhi," the order read.
Will classes continue as usual for higher grades?
Monday's circular said the present order holds only for students up to Class V, and that classes for higher grades will have to be held as per the Directorate of Education's earlier communication, dated 13 December.
In that circular, the government had instructed all schools to immediately start conducting classes for children up to Class IX and Class XI in a "hybrid" mode, with both physical and online modes being available for students.
Class X and XII classes will continue physical classes as usual, it is understood.
"The option to exercise the online mode of education, wherever available, shall vest with the students and their guardians," the circular read.
Delhi's plummeting AQI
The fresh order on Monday comes amid plummeting air quality index (AQI) figures in the national capital.
Delhi on Monday awoke to thick smog blanketing the city, and AQI levels remained in the severe category, with overall AQI for the national capital at 457 at 6 am.
While that figure represented the scenario across the city, some air quality monitoring centres, such as Jahangirpuri, Rohini, and Ashok Vihar, saw their AQI levels at the highest-possible figure—500.
Monday's smog-filled morning came on the back of Delhi recording its second worst air pollution in December on record on Sunday, when residents across the national capital region reported thick smog and near zero visibility.
All 40 monitoring stations across the capital recorded severe AQI levels on Sunday.
