A TOTAL OF 23 CITIES in northern China, including Beijing, issued red alerts and took measures to ease the heavy smog that has smothered the region since Friday, including suspension of classes for primary and secondary schools. Yet Shijiazhuang city, which issued a red alert, did not suspend classes until Wednesday. Beijing News comments:

Actually, Hebei province, of which Shijiazhuang is the capital, issued an emergency action plan earlier this month, which said that schools could suspend classes during red alerts for air pollution. That's not mandatory, but the local education bureau has the right and the responsibility to require the schools to take action.

However, Shijiazhuang did not suspend classes for pupils until days later. We do not know what the Shijiazhuang officials had in mind, but facts show they are rather laggardly in protecting pupils from air pollution.