Open, shut case: Umpteen closures widening learning gap, say schools

The repeated closure of schools is harming learning and adversely impacting the mental development of children, heads of schools in the national capital said on Thursday, after the state government's latest closure order, which came after censure from the Supreme Court over Delhi's hazardous air quality levels.

- Sadia Akhtar

NEW DELHI: Administrators pointed out that shutting schools was not a solution to Delhi's prevailing pollution problem and that frequent closures had thrown schools into disarray, while leaving students and other stakeholder continually uncertain.

Sudha Acharya, the chairperson of the National Progressive Schools' Conference, which has over 120 private Delhi schools as its members, said, "We need a sustainable solution to counter pollution. How can schools be closed on and off in line with the AQI levels," said Acharya, who is principal of ITL Public School in Dwarka.

Schools have been shut four separate times since March last year - twice owing to concerns over Covid-19, and twice in less than three weeks because of the pollution. Experts have, however, repeatedly pointed that the pollution levels are as bad indoors as they are outside, if not worse.