Schools in Gurugram and Faridabad shut till Nov 5

Gurugram: In the wake of alarming air pollution level, all government and private schools up to class 12 in Gurugram and Faridabad will remain closed till November

Gurugram: In the wake of alarming air pollution level, all government and private schools up to class 12 in Gurugram and Faridabad will remain closed till November 5. School holidays can be extended if the situation persists or gets severe, officials said.

HT Image

Receiving flak for the delay in declaring school holidays, the state directorate of school education on Sunday announced a two-day holiday for government, private and aided schools in Gurugram and Faridabad due to intense smog in the two districts. The directorate has directed the district administration to ensure that no school, up to class 12, remains open and all outdoor activities are curbed.

While issuing the order, Kuldeep Mehta, assistant director (academic), secondary education, said, “The deputy commissioners in the two districts can extend the school holidays for a few more days if the poor air quality persists. They have been authorised to take decisions at their level.”

On November 1, the Delhi government had announced school holidays till Nov 5 due to ‘severe’ air quality. However, there was no announcement by the Haryana government for Gurugram and Faridabad, which have been equally affected by the rising air pollution level.

“There has been no delay by the state government in taking the decision. A series of holidays was lined up post-Diwali as of which schools were already closed,” Mehta told HT.

Gurugram schools confirmed that they have received government orders. “We have received the official order from the government and will abide by it. Also, we have been advising students to take necessary precautions. All outdoor activities in the school had been stopped earlier and we have many indoor plants to ensure that the impact of pollution is reduced,” said Anshu Arora, principal, Amity International School, Sector 43, Gurugram.

Nidhi Kapoor, principal of Euro International School, said that the school would abide by the order. “Outdoor activities have already been stopped. Even after the schools reopen, the school will continue to take precautionary steps till the pollution levels come down,” she said.