Noida, Ghaziabad schools to hold classes up to Class 5 in hybrid mode from Thursday

Noida/Ghaziabad (UP): Schools in Gautam Buddh Nagar district and Ghaziabad will conduct classes for students up to Class 5 in hybrid mode from Thursday in view of the implementation of Stage 3 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi-NCR, officials said on Wednesday.

The directive, issued by the District Basic Education Officer's office on November 7, applies to all government, government-aided and recognised schools in the district.

District Basic Education Officer Rahul Pawar said the order was issued in compliance with the Commission for Air Quality Management's (CAQM) directions dated November 6, following the implementation of GRAP Stage III in Delhi-NCR.


Under Clause 8(ii) of the CAQM directions, schools in Delhi and the districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar are required to conduct classes up to Class 5 in hybrid mode, allowing students to attend both in-person and online classes wherever the online facility is feasible.

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The directions also allow other NCR state governments to consider adopting the hybrid mode of teaching for students up to Class 5 in their respective areas.

The district education department has directed school principals and managers to ensure immediate compliance with the order.

It has warned that any negligence or violation of the instructions will invite appropriate action against the concerned school as per rules.

Noida recorded an average 24-hour AQI of 291 while Greater Noida recorded 257, both in the 'poor category' from Tuesday 4 pm to Wednesday 4 pm, according to official data.

However, real-time AQI at various locations in Noida, like Sector 62 and Sector 1, spiked well beyond 300 during the period to reach the "very poor" category, which impacts human health.

In Ghaziabad, the district administration has imposed a ban on all public and private construction and demolition projects till November 20, while all the schools are instructed to operate in a hybrid mode for students up to Class 5.

These orders are issued to ensure the effective implementation of the directives under GRAP-3, as per the order issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on November 7, said Ghaziabad District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar Mandar.

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Mandar announced a ban on construction and demolition activities and said all public and private construction and demolition projects must remain suspended till November 20.

To ensure compliance, the Municipal Corporation, Ghaziabad Development Authority, all municipal councils, the Housing Development Board, and the Public Works Department are each required to form at least 5 dedicated teams.

These teams shall conduct regular inspections in their respective jurisdictions to ensure that no construction activity of any kind is taking place, he said.

The DM issued clear instructions stating that failure to comply with the issued orders would result in action being taken against the senior officials of the concerned departments, with their accountability being fixed accordingly.

To curb air pollution in the district, the DM directed that mechanical sweeping (cleaning via machines) and water sprinkling (spraying of water) on roads be carried out effectively at double the current capacity.

He instructed the relevant departments to accelerate these operations and ensure regular monitoring.

He directed the district Basic Education Officer (BSA) to conduct classes up to grade 5 in a hybrid mode in all schools across the district.