Minister tells BBMP to keep teachers away from Covid-19 duty

The Karnataka state government has directed the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to keep teachers away from Covid-19 duty starting immediately.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar submitted the letter to BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta after recording complaints from the teachers about being put on Covid duty when the academic year will soon commence.

The minister’s instructions are a further escalation of the subject as the BBMP failed to give attention to an earlier request by the commissioner for public instruction.

The commissioner had requested to BBMP to relieve the teachers from Covid duty as they will be required for the admission process and the SSLC examination scheduled in July.

The BBMP had directed the school teachers to work together with the ASHA workers and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) for a household vaccination survey.

In a statement, the minister said, “Teachers need to take vaccines and carry out admission and academic activities in schools. Their services are also needed for the preparatory work of SSLC examinations. Considering these facts, the BBMP should relieve them immediately of Covid-related duties.”

Kumar also issued instructions to the deputy commissioners of all districts for vaccination priority to have teaching and non-teaching staff prior to the SSLC examination work. In a letter addressed to the deputy commissioners, he said, “The list of teaching and non-teaching staff involved in the examination work will be provided by the deputy directors of public instruction and they should be vaccinated on priority before the commencement of the SSLC examinations.”

In an SOP released on Wednesday, the department of public instruction stated that those taking part in SSLC examination work, should have received at least one dose of the Covid vaccine.

The number of centres for SSLC examinations have been increased to 6,000. He said, “This increase in the number of exam centres will result in the need for more teaching, non-teaching staff and other officials for the exam work… So it has been directed to the district administration to provide them vaccination on priority.”

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