‘Stuck in health vs education limbo, again’

With air quality deteriorating in the Capital, parents and teachers said they are once again forced to walk the tightrope between protecting the health of the children but at the same time ensuring there are no disruptions to their education.

- Gargi Shukla

On Saturday, the Delhi government directed all schools to run as classes up to class IX and XI in hybrid mode. But that, teachers said, is easier said than done. From dividing up the teachers’ attention between students in class and the ones in school to accessibility of digital tools, there a plethora of challenges that lie in the path of successful hybrid education.

“We will run online classes as well. We, however, would encourage students to come to school because the government set up challenges to increase online classes,” said Awadhesh Kumar Jha, the principal of CM Shri School in Rohini Sector-8. “We have neighbourhood policy so most of the students don’t travel long distances and many lack proper digital tools, all this makes offline learning more favourable.”

However, outdoor activities, such as assemblies and sports will be fully paused to protect students from pollution, Jha added.