Delhi-NCR Parents Voice Frustration Over Erratic School Closures Amid Winter Woes
Parents across Delhi-NCR are expressing deep frustration and exhaustion as schools remain closed for extended periods this winter. Dense fog, biting cold, and rising pollution levels have forced authorities to prioritize safety, leading to sporadic closures and shifts between online, hybrid, or cancelled classes throughout December and January. This prolonged disruption is taking a significant toll on families, with parents struggling to manage work and home routines while children face learning challenges.
Uncertainty and Confusion Dominate Daily Lives
Every morning brings uncertainty for families who do not know whether their children will attend school, join online classes, or have no classes at all. The lack of clarity on schedules and timings creates constant confusion that affects both students and parents. Children are losing their study rhythm, while parents, whether working professionals or homemakers, find it difficult to adjust their routines around sudden changes.
Aparjita Gautam, President of the Delhi Parents Association, highlights this daily struggle. "This has become a yearly ritual in January, with schools shutting down due to pollution, dense fog, or extreme cold," she says. Gautam urges the government to seriously consider revising the academic calendar to prevent recurring winter disruptions. She suggests adjusting winter vacations to January and completing schedules in December to maintain educational continuity.
Online Classes Fail to Replace Classroom Learning
Many parents argue that online teaching cannot replicate classroom learning. Large class sizes during online sessions, often with 60 students or more, force teachers to focus on completing the syllabus rather than explaining concepts in depth. Reduced study hours further compound the problem, with some schools pushing back morning schedules by an hour and losing valuable learning time.
Vikas Sharma, a businessman living in Delhi-NCR, calls online classes a sham. "What a child can learn sitting in a classroom cannot be replicated online," he states. Parents report that frequent government-mandated holidays due to pollution, cold, heat, or rain repeatedly prevent children from attending school, disrupting their education.
Demand for Clear Guidelines and Better Planning
Parents are calling for proper guidelines and restrictions regarding pollution-related closures. Pankaj Gupta, owner of the North East Delhi Parents Association, points out the lack of clarity from the government. "Opening for just one day doesn't help at all. This is just troubling the parents and affecting the children's studies," he says.
Gupta emphasizes the dilemma families face. Younger children struggle to wear masks for long periods if schools open, while older students in Classes 9-12 worry about completing vast syllabi before exams. Hybrid or online modes strain children's eyes, yet both options come with disadvantages. He suggests the government should change the academic calendar, reduce extra holidays, and adjust breaks to accommodate winter disruptions.
Schools Bear the Brunt of Communication Challenges
School principals also face difficulties in managing frequent changes. Jyoti Arora, Principal of Delhi World Public School in Noida Extension, explains that communicating sudden closures has become increasingly challenging. "There is a perception that sending a single WhatsApp message is enough, but communication doesn't end there," she notes.
Information must be updated on e-portals and other platforms, and sudden closures disrupt the entire weekly flow, including functions, unit tests, assessments, and practice schedules. Arora points to a lack of acceptance among some parents who may feel schools want to shut down deliberately or claim they missed messages. "Ultimately, schools end up bearing the brunt of the situation," she adds.
Long-Term Impact on Learning and Routine
The impact of online classes extends beyond academic concerns. Many working parents struggle to supervise children at home, leaving younger students without constant oversight and senior students spending entire days online with minimal monitoring. When schools reopen, it becomes difficult to bring students back to physical learning routines as they settle into their own zones.
Arora highlights additional challenges: syllabus completion suffers, sports fields remain unused, and co-scholastic activities halt, leaving schools without their usual vibrancy. Pollution-related restrictions, frequent announcements, and reorganizing bus routes further disrupt academic schedules. Traffic congestion and CBSE practical examinations also cause delays for senior students.
To address these issues, Arora suggests revising the academic calendar, avoiding certain holidays, and giving schools greater flexibility with holidays to streamline operations. Parents and educators alike agree that better planning is essential to prevent children's education from suffering during winter months.
As the cold wave continues to grip North India, the call for clarity and revised academic planning grows louder among Delhi-NCR families seeking stability in their children's education.
