New Delhi: As Delhi braces for another season of toxic air, concerns among parents are mounting over whether schools are adequately prepared to protect children from worsening pollution.
At Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in Delhi, 55 air-purifying machines were installed through a parent-led initiative in Dec 2025. The project was reported to have cost about Rs 63.3 lakh, with a one-time contribution of around Rs 3,800 per student, according to the school’s internal communication. At Tagore International School in Vasant Vihar, a Nov 2025 circular informed parents that two air purifiers would be installed in each classroom following a positive response from 85-90% of parents. The school proposed adding a one-time charge of Rs 600 to Dec fees for students from nursery to Class XI, excluding EWS students, and said it would cover maintenance and electricity costs.
At one Delhi-NCR school, parents plan to pool funds to buy air purifiers for nursery classrooms, and have questioned why the school is not buying the equipment itself, according to a social media post. When the parents also asked what had happened to the purifiers used the previous year, the school said the devices moved up with students as they progressed to higher grades, leaving younger children’s classrooms without the same equipment, said the post, which has been widely shared online. Our children’s safety should not depend on whether parents can afford to contribute towards air purifiers,” said Deepali Raina, whose child has just started his schooling journey.
The post added that as per the school, its air-conditioning systems had HEPA filters that could address dust to some extent. The account has reignited questions about whether schools should make families responsible for ensuring cleaner classroom air, particularly when the children concerned are too young to protect themselves or communicate discomfort. “As parents, we are constantly worried about what our children are breathing in at school. We cannot check the air quality in every classroom ourselves, and simply telling us that the air-conditioning has filters is not enough. Schools need to be transparent about what measures are in place, how effective they are and what happens when pollution levels become severe. The issue has also surfaced at schools that have invested in air-purification systems.