Most pvt schools wait, may reopen tomorrow

Meanwhile, Delhi government schools welcomed senior students back on campus on Saturday while many private schools began seeking permission from students’ parents to restart classes from Monday.

A day after the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in Delhi-NCR and regional areas announced several relaxations to pollution curbs, a few government schools restarted physical classes even as public infrastructure projects in the city awaited more clarity from the Delhi government.

Delhi government schools welcomed senior students back on campus on Saturday while many private schools began seeking permission from students’ parents to restart classes from Monday. (ANI)

CAQM on Friday allowed schools and other educational institutions to be reopened in a phased manner from Saturday, and allowed resumption of work on “linear public projects”, including roads, highways, underpasses, overbridges, flyovers and pipelines along with projects related to health infrastructure, sanitation and public utility, even as the ban continued to be in place for other construction projects.

While the Delhi government’s directorate of education (DOE) subsequently issued directions to restart classes from Class 6 onwards in city schools from December 18 within minutes of the CAQM order, officials from the Public Works Department (PWD) — the primary Delhi government construction agency — said they were waiting for similar orders regarding resumption of construction work.

“We needed some clarity around the exemptions so work has not started immediately on our sites,” a senior PWD official confirmed.

Meanwhile, Delhi government schools welcomed senior students back on campus on Saturday while many private schools began seeking permission from students’ parents to restart classes from Monday.

Jyoti Arora, principal of Mount Abu Public School in Rohini, said that classes will resume from Monday, adding that the school will take some time to resume transport services. “We map the bus routes and work out the modalities but there is some disruption or closure each time, due to which the process gets derailed. We will wait for another 10 days before resuming services,” said Arora.

Sudha Acharya, principal of ITL Public School, Dwarka, and the chairperson of the National Progressive School’s Conference, which has over 120 private Delhi schools as its members, said that her school had informed parents and was in the process of taking their consents.

“Students are excited and we hope to see them back in the classrooms next week. While we are yet to decide the winter vacation, we hope to hold online classes during the break for students in grades above 9,” She said.

On November 16, on the directions of the Supreme Court, the CAQM banned construction and demolition activities in Delhi and NCR, along with calling in other curbs on polluting sources, such as banning the entry of trucks, except those carrying essential items, into Delhi; ordering action against industries operating on unclean fuels; and allowing only scheduled operations for thermal power plants.