Schools restricting outdoor activities

                                 

No strenuous outdoor activity on days when air quality is 'hazardous'

: The rising levels of pollution in the Capital have now forced schools to cancel their outdoor activities, keeping in mind children's health. The Shri Ram School, located at Vasant Vihar and Aravali in Gurgaon, has postponed its 'Sports Meet' for the Junior Wing , supposed to happen on Saturday.

The school has postponed the meet until further plans. The Director of the school confirmed the development saying that the parents and children agreed to the move and the school will now work-out something else soon.

Meanwhile, Shriram Millennium School in Noida has restricted outdoor activities for children on bad air days. A parent whose daughter studies in the school said: “My child's school says it is restricting strenuous/aerobic outdoor activity on days where the quality of air reaches severe/hazardous levels.”

Keeping the hazardous effect of pollution in mind, the Delhi government is holding discussions with the schools to chalk out a plan for preventing children. The government is also mulling on a proposal to extend the usual winter break in schools which is for a week, to around 20 days.

The Delhi government is considering shutting down schools in the national capital for 15 days from January 1 to 15 during the trial period of odd-even vehicle formula.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that children are most affected due to rising pollution and government is concerned about this.

“We have received a proposal to shut schools (between January 1 and 15). We are considering the proposal and if needed, government will announce holiday for all schools,” Mr. Sisodia said.

A senior government official said that there is a winter holiday in all government and private schools from December last week to the first week of January every year. If the Education Department declares holidays for 15 days between January 1 and 15, students' studies will not be affected, he claimed.

The directorate has proposed to that the schools hold remedial classes for children if the schools are shut down for a longer period of time.