400 Chinese students forced to do homework outdoors in polluted air

The principal of a school in China did not receive notice to close the school, forcing hundreds of students to take lessons in toxic smog.

Chinese students take an exam in a smoggy environment. Photo: Shanghaiist.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Anyang City, Henan Province, China has skyrocketed to 700 in recent days, forcing the local education department to close schools. An AQI of 151 or higher can cause health problems for normal people, while groups sensitive to air can suffer quite serious health effects.

However, the principal of a high school in Anyang did not receive the notice. Photos shared widely on Chinese social media showed students sitting in the school's yard taking exams in air pollution that has been compared to the end of the world, according to Shanghaiist.

The principal later said the 400 students were in the eighth grade. He said the fog was thick but not “dangerous.” After receiving a notice to close the school, the test was postponed.

In some cities in Henan and Hebei provinces of China, air quality is at a hazardous level when the PM2.5 suspended dust index is at 1,000 micrograms per cubic meter. PM2.5 is dust with a dynamic diameter of ≤2.5µm, capable of penetrating deep into the lung alveoli, affecting the respiratory system.

According to VNE