BENGALURU: Giving in to pressure from teachers’ associations, Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar on Thursday wrote to Bruhat Bengaluru Mahangara Palike Commissioner to implement the exemption from Covid duty given to vulnerable teachers.
The BBMP issued an order on July 9 exempting school teachers aged above 50, those with disabilities, illnesses, and pregnant teachers from Covid duty in Bengaluru. Despite this, they have been asked to monitor patients at the ward-level, ensure they keep medical appointments and maintain records, causing anxiety among teachers, the minister said in the letter.
Primary Teachers’ Association president Chandrashekar Nugli told TNIE that many of 5,000 government school teachers in Bengaluru North and South (educational divisions) are eligible for exemption.
“Even though we approached senior education department officers, we were told no such exemptions were given to teachers. How could this be possible? So we approached the minister, who wrote to the BBMP commissioner,” Nugli said.
WFH for private school teachers Despite a government order permitting work from home for school teachers up to July 31, there have been instances of private schools asking employees to come to work.
“Some teachers are from high risk areas. They come to host online classes, which can be done at home. It increases the risk of spread not just to us but also people in their families who may have co-morbidities,” said a CBSE teacher.
Suresh Kumar had told TNIE that the work from home order must apply to private schools too.
P Ranganath, School Teachers’ and Administration Forum president, said changing rules and orders had led to confusion. “The work from home order is only for government teachers. But some private school teachers are still going to work for online classes,” he said.