On Sunday night, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi announced that physical classes in Delhi schools have been suspended for all except for students in classes 10 and 12. This decision was taken as the city recorded alarming levels of pollution for the fifth straight day.

UPDATE: From November 19, physical classes shall be suspended for Class 10 and 12 as well, and all studies will be shifted online, CM announced on November 18

While students, parents and teachers of all classes are satisfied with the decision, students of classes 10 and 12 are asking the Delhi government if scoring good marks in board exams is more important than good health.

“As a Class 10 student, I believe balancing health and studies is challenging, but it is also essential. Maintaining a healthy routine helps me stay focused and perform better. Today I had to go for my revision test which became problematic as my eyes started burning during the day. A lot of my classmates did not even turn up for classes, and I will be forced to do the same if our school doesn’t switch to online classes from tomorrow,” said Kamya Agarwal, a class 10 student.

Some schools and teachers have come to the Delhi government’s rescue, as they believe that offline classes also give reassurance to parents. “I would be happy to shift to online classes, but the majority of the parents have asked me to continue with offline classes as that reassures them that their child is studying rather than simply wasting time on the internet. Now that children are well-versed in technology use, a lot of times they play games or watch a video while attending an online class, and they quickly change or close that tab as soon as their parents enter the room,” said Deepak Walecha, who takes accounting home tuitions for classes 11-12.

While parents are worried about the health of their children, teachers believe that adding screen time will not help students’ mental or physical health. Jassica Ahuja, a primary school teacher argued that “the screen time of students is already too much, online classes will worsen the condition. Also, not all families have multiple ready devices. Some households may have only one available device but two children who would need to attend online classes. What will they do in such a situation? There will also be working parents who will have to go to the office while their kids stay at home,” Jassica, who is also a mother of two, added.

Other teachers such as Jyoti Kaushik — who is a Social Science teacher — also argue that “schools often have better resources and infrastructure that can support teachers in delivering high-quality education” although she also added exceptions can be made in such extreme situations.

However, not everyone shares this view. Some parents, on the other hand, believe that acing the board exams is not more important than their child’s health.  “As a parent, I strongly believe that the health and well-being of our children must take precedence over academic pressures, even during crucial board exam years. While I understand the importance of offline classes for effective preparation, exposing students to hazardous air quality puts them at serious risk. The government should direct schools to conduct online classes for 10 and 12 as their syllabus is almost over and they have preboards from December first week. Prioritising their health now will enable them to perform better in the long run, without compromising their future or well-being,” says Keshav Agarwal, whose daughter is a class 10 student at Delhi Public School RK Puram, New Delhi.

Some teachers, too, believe that while “jobs and businesses have to go on so teachers should go to school, it is only logical to have students shift to online classes to ensure that they remain healthy,” said Dipika Sharma, a Computers teacher.