Confusion looms over Delhi schools over order to conduct classes in ‘hybrid’ mode 

Several principals of government and private schools in Delhi on Tuesday said the Directorate of Education (DoE) circular from a day earlier, directing schools to conduct classes in ‘hybrid’ mode, had caused confusion regarding day-to-day operations as they did not know how many students would return to school from Wednesday and how would teachers instruct in two modes — online and in person — at once.

The DoE circular on Monday had also stated that the option to “exercise online mode of education, wherever available, shall vest with the students and their guardians”.

Several schoolteachers also expressed confusion regarding the DoE order. A government schoolteacher said he was unsure of how to cope with the resumption of physical classes, given that the order directing government offices to ensure that 50% of the employees work from home is still in place.

On Monday, the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) had, on the orders of the Supreme Court, directed schools in Delhi-NCR to shift classes to the hybrid mode, following which the DoE had issued the circular. The court had urged the Centre’s pollution watchdog to consider restarting physical classes due to many students missing out on the mid-day meals and lacking the necessary means to attend classes online.

The CAQM had, on November 20, asked schools in Delhi-NCR to shift to the online mode of teaching.

‘Fine print missing’

Virendra Singh Yadav, a government schoolteacher, said the authorities have not shared details about how the order on hybrid classes is supposed to be implemented.

“Many schools do not have the necessary infrastructure to broadcast their classes live. Moreover, there is no clarity on whether all teachers are expected to come to school in the light of the work-from-home order, which is yet to be lifted,” said Mr. Yadav, who is also the president of a schoolteachers’ association in Delhi.

A government school principal, who did not want to be named, is expecting most students to turn up on Wednesday because many of them do not have the means of accessing online classes.

“Since the order has left it up to the parents to decide, we will have to ensure both facilities are available. Some teachers will take offline classes, and some will teach online in the other room,” said the principal.

Satya Prakash Pandey of the All India Parents’ Association said, “Most parents want the resumption of physical classes. Teaching through the hybrid mode will lead to more confusion.”

‘Failed experiment’

Meanwhile, several principals of the city’s private schools, which have the means to conduct classes online, said they were perplexed about the DoE’s Sunday order.

Jyoti Arora, the principal of Mount Abu Public School in Rohini, said, “Teachers have to set up the screen and manage the camera while tending to the offline students. There will be confusion regarding the bus routes as well as a student might attend classes online one day and offline the other.” She added that they had tried and failed at teaching through the hybrid mode during the pandemic.

Alka Kapur, the principal of Modern Public School in Shalimar Bagh, said that offline classes will resume from Classes 6 to 12 on Wednesday and that she will circulate a Google Form to understand the preferences of the primary school students’ parents.

Published - November 27, 2024 01:11 am IST