On Wednesday, the first day of the hybrid learning for students up to grade 5, many private schools conducted their classes online. However, the transition was not as smooth in the Delhi government-run schools, where a large number of students lack access to smartphones, said the principals.
A day earlier, the Directorate of Education (DoE) issued a circular directing schools to conduct classes till Class 5 in hybrid mode (physical or online mode, which feasible), following the enforcement of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage III by the Commission for Air Quality Management in the NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) after the air quality dipped to the ‘severe’ category for the first time this winter.
Sudha Acharya, principal of ITL Public School in Dwarka, said, “We have given students the option of attending classes online. However, most students turned up to class because parents say that the school is in Delhi, and they are exposed to harmful air either way.” Principals of several other schools also said that they have the necessary infrastructure to conduct online classes and share the links with students.
Digital divide
A Delhi government school principal stated that many of their students lack access to devices for online classes, and the issue has been a source of concern since the pandemic.
