Noida Air Pollution: Schools stop outdoor activities, to go online from today

NOIDA: As the city’s air turned ‘severe’, several schools stopped all outdoor activities. Some of them also announced that they will be switching to online classes, citing concerns over students’ health.

Outdoor activities such as morning assemblies and sports activities have been put on pause or moved indoors at many schools. Some schools even stated that they called off events such as annual sports days and inter-school competitions, which were scheduled to be held this week, in the wake of the hazardous haze currently blanketing the region.

“For the last two days, we have stopped all outdoor activities such as sports and prayers and shifted them to indoor auditoriums. This is done to take precautions for students due to high pollution levels. Though we have not decided on school closure yet, if the district administration ordered it, we will close,” said Vandhana Sharma, media coordinator of Vishwa Bharti Public School, Noida.

Other schools in the district have stated that they will be moving classes online starting Saturday.

“We have decided to conduct online classes from tomorrow until the situation improves. Only the class 11 & 12 students will be coming tomorrow for exams. We have also postponed our adventure camp, which was to be held this weekend, for this reason,” said Aditi Basu Roy, principal of Grads International School, Greater Noida.

Delhi schools shut as air pollution hits 'severe' mark; MCD schools to hold online classes

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has announced the closure of all government and private primary schools in Delhi on November 3 and 4 due to the severe pollution levels in the city. The air quality in Delhi has reached the "severe" category, with scientists predicting further deterioration over the next two weeks. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has also suspended physical classes in its schools and will explore online class options. At least 18 out of 37 monitoring stations in Delhi recorded air quality in the "severe" category.

State schools hold spl classes during puja vacation for boards students

Several government and aided schools in Kolkata have decided to conduct special classes or online classes during the vacation period to make up for academic loss. This decision was made as senior students have selection tests scheduled just after the vacation. Schools like Hindu School and Jodhpur Park Boys School are conducting extra classes and online classes respectively. Scottish Church Collegiate School is conducting mock tests for board students, while Taki House is utilizing the vacation period for project work and online classes. Some schools, like Jodhpur Park Boys School and Bethune School, are using virtual methods to stay in touch with students.

Class X student hangs self on school premises in Khurda

A Class X student from a private residential school in Khurda district, India, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree on the school campus. Police suspect that the principal taking away his mobile phone may have been a contributing factor. The incident has raised concerns about the adverse impact of mobile phone addiction on children, with experts highlighting the link between excessive screen time and aggression. The exact cause of the suicide is still under investigation.

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