Delhi schools to be closed after ‘Yellow Alert’ curbs imposed

Educators wary of detrimental effects of repeated closures on students. Schools have been shut four times since April 2021.

The Delhi government on Tuesday ordered closure of schools in the Capital as part of the Graded Response Action Plan’s (Grap) ‘Yellow Alert’ curbs imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19 in the city.

A worker sanitising the premises of a school in Delhi. (HT Archive)

Schools have been shut four times since April this year – twice owing to concerns over Covid-19, and twice because of hazardous pollution levels. Schools last restarted for in-person classes for students in Class 6 and above on December 18, after the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) issued an order to that effect.

On Tuesday, the Directorate of Education issued an order stating that “all government, government-aided, unaided recognised, NDMC, municipal and Delhi Cantonment Board schools will remain closed till further orders. However, online teaching-learning activities, examinations and related activities such as practicals, projects, and assignments for classes 9 to 12 would be conducted as per schedule.”

Jyoti Arora, principal of Mount Abu Public School in Rohini, said that the school informed parents about the closure and return to online classes for all grades. Arora said the curbs derailed the school’s plans of holding extra classes in January. “A significant portion of the syllabus for senior classes is pending. Earlier, we were planning to hold sustained in-person classes for course completion. Now, we will have to carry out all activity online,” said Arora.

Sukhbir Singh Yadav, president of Vice and Principals’ Association of Delhi, and the head of a government school in Rohini, said that schools had gradually been getting back on track, but the fresh closure, if prolonged, would set learning back once again. “From January 1 to 15, schools will be on winter vacation. We hope the situation is under control by then and we can resume in-person classes soon. The past couple of years have been very tumultuous and everyone is waiting for schools to function as before,” said Yadav.

He said that online classes for students in Class 6 and above will continue even during the winter vacation for some hours on a daily basis.

Educational institutions were first closed in March last year when a nationwide lockdown was imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19. It reopened for classes 10 and 12 for practical work and board preparation in January 2021 and classes 9 and 11 in February. However, barely two months later, schools were once again asked to shut down on April 9 amid another Covid spike. On September 1, schools reopened for students in classes 9-12 and in-person classes were resumed for students of all grades on November 1.

Subsequently, in a series of closures on account of hazardous pollution levels, schools closed on November 13, reopened on November 29, and against shut down on December 2. While schools resumed classes for students in Class 6 and above on December 18, a decision on the resumption of classes for students in primary classes was to be taken on Tuesday. With the latest curbs under yellow alert, schools will have to switch back to online classes for all grades.

Schools have previously rued the repeated closure of schools, with heads of schools noting that it is harming learning and adversely impacting the mental development of children.

“The closure order is disappointing. It’s important for children to come to school and be with friends and teachers. For their mental health, it’s important that they mingle around. The school is taking care of them and following all protocols,” said Manika Sharma, director of The Shri Ram Schools in Delhi-NCR, after the schools were ordered shut on December 2.

Many officials have also said that the frequent closures is also turning into a logistical nightmare.

Laksh Vir Sehgal, principal of Bal Bharati Public School, Ganga Ram Hospital Marg, had pointed out that the school employed several contractual employees and relieving them of duty time and again was inconvenient for both parties concerned. “We had called these employees back to work in the hopes that in-person classes would continue normally. Now, we will have to lay them off for some days at least. Their income is also affected,” said Sehgal.