GRAP Hybrid Classes: A 24-Hour Plan and Parent Messages for Delhi-NCR Schools

Under CAQM's revised GRAP, Stage III makes classes up to Class 5 hybrid in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar. Stage IV adds Classes 6–9 and 11. Parents choose online where it's offered. Within 24 hours: confirm the order, publish one official parent announcement, collect each family's mode, and send same-day attendance alerts.

GRAP orders often arrive in the evening and take effect the next morning. The video link is rarely what goes wrong. What goes wrong is five versions of the news in five WhatsApp groups, parents unsure whether their child should come in, and an attendance register nobody trusts. This guide covers the rules, a 24-hour plan, and parent message templates you can adapt now, before the season peaks.

Check caqm.nic.in and your Directorate of Education order for the stage in force today. This article does not say which stage applies right now.

What GRAP Stage III and IV mean for schools

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) approved a revised Graded Response Action Plan on 28 September 2026. The schedule is dated 29 September 2026.

The four stages in one line each

• Stage I, "Poor": Delhi AQI 201–300.
• Stage II, "Very Poor": AQI 301–400.
• Stage III, "Severe": AQI 401–450.
• Stage IV, "Severe+": AQI above 450.

A stage can be called in advance, based on the forecast, before the AQI actually reaches it. Each stage also keeps every action of the stages below it, so Stage IV includes everything in Stage III.

Stage III: classes up to Class 5 go hybrid

At Stage III, state governments in NCR and the Delhi government must run classes up to Class V in "hybrid" mode, meaning both physical and online, wherever online is feasible. This applies in the NCT of Delhi and in Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar. Other NCR areas may also choose to do it.

Stage IV: Classes 6–9 and 11 join

At Stage IV, hybrid mode extends to Classes VI to IX and XI in the same areas. Classes X and XII are not in the list.

Who chooses online or physical

The CAQM schedule says the choice to use the online mode, where it is available, rests with students and their guardians. A school offers the option, and each family decides.

| GRAP stage | Classes in hybrid mode | Where (mandatory) | |---|---|---| | Stage III | Up to Class 5 | Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar (other NCR areas may follow) | | Stage IV | Up to Class 5, plus Classes 6–9 and 11 | Same areas |

The detail on the ground, such as start dates and timings, comes through your state's Directorate of Education or district order. Follow that order, not a forwarded screenshot.

What "hybrid" actually asks of the school

Hybrid is not a closure. The school stays open, physical classes run, and an online option runs alongside them for families who choose it. In practice, three things have to work at once:

1. Teaching: whatever online tool your school already uses for streaming or setting work.
2. Communication: one clear, dated message to the right parents.
3. The attendance record: who came in, who joined online, and who did neither.

Most of the stress on GRAP day sits in the second and third, so that is where this plan focuses.

The 24-hour switch plan

Before the season: prepare in October

• Name one owner for GRAP communications, usually the principal or admin head, plus a backup.
• Write draft announcements for Stage III and Stage IV now, so on the day you only change dates.
• Check every affected class's online tool, links and teacher logins.
• Update parent phone numbers and app sign-ins. Chase families who aren't on the school app yet.
• Decide how each class will record online attendance.

Hour 0–2: the order lands

• Read the CAQM stage notice and your DoE or district order. Note the classes, the start date and any timing changes.
• List the affected classes. Don't extend hybrid mode beyond the order unless management decides to.
• Send one internal message to staff so teachers hear it from the school first.

Hour 2–8: tell parents and collect their choice

• Publish one official announcement to parents (template A).
• Ask each family in an affected class to choose online or physical, with a deadline (template B).
• Tell parents of unaffected classes, such as Classes 10 and 12 at Stage IV, that nothing changes for them (template C).

Hour 8–24: timetable, teachers, transport

• Fix the timetable: who teaches in the room, who streams, who sets work online.
• Adjust bus runs to the physical headcount and tell bus parents (template D).
• Share online links class by class, never in a school-wide group.

Day 1 of hybrid: attendance and follow-up

• Mark physical attendance at the usual time.
• Before sending absence alerts, check them against the online list so online students aren't flagged by mistake.
• Send same-day alerts for students who were neither in class nor online (template F).
• Note families who switch mode and confirm the change in writing.

When the stage is revoked: back to physical

• Send one announcement with the return date (template E).
• Restore normal bus runs and the usual attendance routine.

What to tell parents: message templates

Keep to one rule: one official channel, one message per change, dated, and specific to the class. Adapt the templates below. Keep them short and calm, and quote only what the order says.

A. GRAP announcement

Dear parents, as per the GRAP Stage [III/IV] order from CAQM and the [Directorate of Education / district] order dated [date], Classes [list] will run in hybrid mode from [date]. School remains open and physical classes continue. You may choose online classes for your child instead. Please reply to the next message with your choice. Updates will come only through this app. For questions, contact [name, role].

B. Mode choice

For [child's name], Class [x-y]: please choose physical or online classes during the hybrid period by [time, date]. You can change your choice later by informing the class teacher a day in advance.

C. Unaffected classes

Classes [10 and 12 / list] are not covered by the hybrid order. School timings and routine stay the same for these classes.

D. Transport update

Bus timings for hybrid days: [route / timing changes]. Pickup and drop rules remain the same. If your child is attending online, you don't need to inform the driver; the school will update the bus list.

E. Back to physical

The hybrid order has been withdrawn as per [order, date]. All classes return to physical attendance from [date]. Regular timings and bus routes resume.

F. Same-day absence alert

[Child's name] was not marked present in class or in the online session today, [date]. Please let the class teacher know if your child is unwell or attending in a different mode.

G. Indoor activities note (optional)

During this period, [assembly / PE / outdoor play] will be held indoors as per school decision.

Send G only if the school has actually made that decision.

Keeping attendance honest on hybrid days

On a hybrid day "absent" has three possible meanings, so keep three lists:

• Present in school: mark this in your ERP exactly as on any other day.
• Present online: record this however your online tool allows, and keep it separate.
• Neither: these are the only students whose parents should get an absence alert.

The common mistake is sending a "your child is absent" alert to a parent who chose online classes the night before. Cross-check before you alert. If your school takes attendance with same-day alerts, the physical list is ready by first period, and the cross-check is the only manual step.

Where ConnectEdu fits

ConnectEdu doesn't run your online classes; keep using the tool your teachers already know. What it handles is the communication and the record around them:

• One official announcement from the parent app reaches every affected class at once, with a record of what was sent and when. That replaces forwards across class groups (why that matters).
• Same-day attendance alerts go to parents from the attendance you mark, whether manual or biometric.

If you're weighing push notifications against WhatsApp and SMS for messages like these, read which channel actually reaches parents. For the bigger picture, see what a parent engagement platform is and our guide to school–parent communication. If bus runs change, our transport safety checklist covers the pickup rules that shouldn't.

Frequently asked questions