SHAKEELA ANDRABI
SRINAGAR: The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on children’s education around the globe. Vaccinating teachers is a critical step towards putting it back on track. When COVID was at its their peak in late April 2020, country-wide closure of schools disrupted learning of students.
According to UNICEF, when cases started skyrocketing in many countries around the world including India, the schools were closed. During the second wave of pandemic this year, many state board exams as well as CBSE examinations for 10th and 12th class were cancelled consecutively for the 2nd year.
UNICEF has called for vaccinating teachers on priority, once frontline health personnel and high-risk populations are vaccinated. It will help protect teachers from the virus, allowing them to teach in person, ultimately resulting in opening of schools.
This year in April, The Lancet COVID-19 Commission India Task Force said in a report, ‘We strongly recommend that teachers and school staff are vaccinated on a priority basis’.
“We recognize that in states with high rates of infections, it will not be possible to open schools immediately, however, we believe that the next two months can be used to prepare the education sector for a safe opening in July 2021,” it added.
After issuing this report, many Indian state heads ordered vaccinations of teachers on priority basis so that by the end of July education sector could be reviewed for opening and children who are hailing from very poor families could return to school.
Last week on 1st July 2021, the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir issued a notification, stating that vaccination drive for teaching, non- teaching staff and eligible students shall be done before re-opening of colleges and schools.
“Before any decision is taken by the government in future regarding re-opening of educational institutions of Jammu and Kashmir, it becomes imperative to get all teaching, non- teaching staff and eligible students fully vaccinated, so as to prevent potential resurgence of COVID-19 on reopening of educational institutions,” it reads.
The notification states, “The dates for vaccination of all teaching, non-teaching staff as well as eligible students (batch wise) may kindly be conveyed to DHSK at the earliest, so that the vaccination sites are created at the places to be identified by you.”
DHSK has further requested the educational institution authorities to take action at earliest.
The STATE TIMES correspondent came to know from sources that till 5th of July, neither the Directorate of School Education nor Higher Education department provided any roaster to the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir. When contacted, Director Health services Kashmir Dr Mushtaq Ahmed Rather accepted that Directorate of Health Services Kashmir is ready to start special vaccination drive for teaching and non-teaching staff as well as those students who are eligible for vaccination, but unfortunately till date neither the Directorate of School Education Kashmir nor Higher Education Department has sent any communication or provided any kind of roaster.
When STATE TIMES correspondent on enquiring about a news about re-opening of schools from 15th of July and special vaccination drive to be started by the DHSK, whether the drive can be completed in a week, Dr Rather said, “It could be possible only when Departments are going to cooperate with us and provide roaster at the earliest.”
He further said, “Opening of schools is not possible till vaccination drive for teachers, non-teaching staff and eligible students could not be completed and it is very hard to say this drive would be completed by 15th July or even end of July.”
The DHSK further said that vaccination drive is in full swing across the Kashmir.
Shopian, Ganderbal, Baramulla, Bandipora and Budgam districts achieved their cent percent target for above 45 age group , while as Anantnag, Pulwama and Kulgam districts are near about to achieve the target of 100 percent, he added.
“Srinagar and Kupwara districts are still on the 19th and 20th rank in the list, but we are committed to achieve the target very soon, and for this purpose we have increased the vaccination centers all over the Srinagar city,” he said adding that it is very encouraging that people are coming out on their own will and enthusiasm for vaccination, earlier we have seen people were hesitating to get vaccine.
The DHSK said “We have deployed many teams in far fling areas to achieve the target without wasting more time, because there is possibility of third wave.”