School cancels classes due to smog, authorities demand they resume

A high school in Beijing suspended classes for junior high school students on Tuesday amid an orange air pollution alert for heavy smog, then local education authorities required the school to resume classes.

The Affiliated High School of Peking University on Monday issued an emergency notice telling junior high school students that they did not need to go to school on Tuesday.

An employee at the school confirmed to The Beijing News that the school did suspend classes for junior high school students on Tuesday, but not for senior high school students.

The Haidian District Education Committee said that the school was the only one that suspended classes in the city, and said it has sent workers to demand the school resume classes.

The city's education committee has only demanded schools cease outdoor activities.

Facing the heavy smog, some parents supported the suspension, and also questioned the standards adopted by the city to suspend the classes during heavy air pollution.

"Now, my 14-year-old daughter has to go to school every day in the smog. The suspension of classes is necessary for her health," said a father surnamed Chen.

The smog has lingered over Beijing for almost a week. City authorities upgraded the smog alert to orange on Friday, the second-highest level of air pollution alert, for the first time.

According to a measure issued by the Beijing education committee in November, only when the air pollution reaches the highest level, a red alert, will high schools, primary schools and kindergartens suspend classes.

The National Meteorological Center issued orange smog alert for northern and central China on Monday and at 8 am Tuesday announced the alert would remain for another 24 hours.