Beijing's education authority notified schools yesterday to make independent decisions on whether to suspend classes due to the orange-level smog alert.

The Beijing Meteorological Observatory yesterday maintained an orange smog alert — second only to the highest level of red alert — for the third day. Under the city’s official emergency smog measures, classes can only be closed when a red smog alarm is hoisted.

The education commission’s decision to leave the choice to schools is generally considered to be made under public pressure.

The city has been shrouded in dense haze since Wednesday. The widespread smog has also sprawled to nearly all of the north China region and to the northeast part of the country, including Liaoning Province.

Since the National Meteorological Center upgraded Tuesday’s yellow alert on Thursday, authorities in Beijing and other smog-affected provinces have only offered suggestions such as to stay indoors and wear masks if going out.

A total of 35 companies have been reported to have halted production and 74 others reduced emissions by 30 percent in the capital.

The Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences admitted that the authorities’ anti-smog public directives and coordinated measures were not enough to cope with the severity of the regional air pollution.

Sources with the Beijing education commission said many schools had reported that parents have questioned the safety of sending children to school in heavy smog , as most schools do not have air purifiers.

Although a cold spell was forecast to arrive yesterday evening to clear the haze, the public are expecting more.

Zhai Qing, vice minister of environmental protection, said in September that pollution control cannot be fully carried out as the coordination and interaction among government organs is still ineffective.

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