Delhi schools will offer classes up to Class 5 in hybrid mode after the Education Directorate issued an order in response to worsening air quality and the activation of Stage III measures under the Graded Response Action Plan across Delhi-NCR.
The directive, issued on Friday, applies to government, government-aided and recognised private schools under the Education Directorate. It also covers schools administered by the New Delhi Municipal Council, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Delhi Cantonment Board.
Under the arrangement, students up to Class 5 will have the option of attending classes on campus or studying online. The order does not announce a complete shutdown of physical classes. Instead, it requires schools to provide both modes of learning while the pollution-control measures remain in force.
The Education Directorate said the decision was taken to comply with directions issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management. The commission had brought all measures under Stage III of the graded response plan into immediate effect in Delhi and the National Capital Region on Friday as air pollution worsened.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board’s Sameer application, Delhi recorded an Air Quality Index of 364 on Saturday. This falls in the ‘very poor’ category, indicating pollution levels at which prolonged exposure can pose health risks, particularly for children and other vulnerable groups. The order links the change in school operations to the prevailing air-quality conditions and the wider regional response under GRAP.
The arrangement places an immediate operational responsibility on school administrations. School heads have been instructed to inform parents and guardians about the hybrid learning system without delay. Schools will therefore need to coordinate classroom teaching and online access while ensuring that students can choose between attending in person and learning remotely.
The order also assigns a monitoring role to education officials. Deputy Directors of Education for different districts and areas have been asked to visit schools within their jurisdictions and ensure that the instructions are implemented smoothly. Their inspections are intended to check compliance across schools managed by different civic and administrative authorities.
The directive highlights how worsening air quality can alter the functioning of Delhi’s public institutions at short notice. Schools fall under several administrative systems in the capital, but the order extends across these systems so that the response is not limited to a single category of institution. The immediate focus remains on reducing the need for younger children to travel or remain on school premises while retaining access to education through online classes.
The Education Directorate’s order will operate within the framework of the GRAP Stage III measures announced by the Commission for Air Quality Management. Further implementation will be monitored through school-level communication and visits by district education officials.
