Srinagar 23 April (KNB): Teachers in Kashmir are in a state of utter confusion as they have to attend school/colleges to present online lectures amid the surge in novel coronavirus infections in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Kashmir News Bureau spoke to several teachers in Srinagar, who said that there is no logic behind the move taken by the Government.
A professor on the basis of anonymity said, “this step taken by Govt. that teachers should attend schools/colleges and then give lectures virtually to students, who also have to uniform it up in order to be allowed to attend the classes is nothing but bizarre.”
She said that if students are allowed to attend classes online from home, why not allow teaching staff to perform their duties from home as well?
Another teacher from Narwave Tehsil told news agency Kashmir News Bureau that there is terrible network coverage at the institution where he presents lectures to the students.
“The network is better at my home than at the institution I’m working from which certainly gets on my nerves as well as students suffer due to it,” he said, adding that the Government should reconsider their decision.
Moreover, regarding the same issue, Researcher and Associate Professor, Internal Medicine GMC Srinagar, Dr Muzaffar Maqbool, earlier Tweeted, “In last one week, came across at least 30 teachers who have contracted Covid-19 disease attending schools and colleges with no students.”
Maqbool further said, “Fail to understand why risking 50,000 teachers and their families, attending duties, using public transport imparting online education. STRANGE.”
Talking to Kashmir News Bureau, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) spokesperson Dr Masood-ul-Hassan said that if the Govt. has taken the step to ensure attendance of the teaching staff then there are many other ways to achieve it.
“I do not understand the logic behind this, where students are asked to stay at home but their teachers are ordered to provide online classes from schools/colleges,” Masood said.
“If the authorities/heads/principals want to ensure 100% attendance of their teaching staff at the institutions, then to achieve that there are various other methods,” he emphasized.
A DAK spokesperson said that there are around one lakh teachers who are made to ply daily at their place of work. “Amid the rising Covid cases in the region it is most likely that in their traveling routing and being at the institutions, they could contract the virus as well as spread it further,” he said.
“Govt. should be focusing on how to minimize the gatherings that are taking place in J&K instead of forcing it, “ Dr Masooq emphasized.
He said there are certain jobs that require the employees to leave their homes but not teach that too during a pandemic.
“Doctors need to visit hospitals to treat the patients even though in certain cases consultancy can be provided online, similarly journalists require to be out there in the field to gather facts but talk about teaching,
Dr Masood further said that he believes to reduce the surge in Covid-19 cases, people at individual levels as well as the Govt. can ensure minimal gathering takes place.
“By allowing the teachers to present lectures to their students in virtual mode from their homes, will surely reduce the impact of the second wave,” the DAK spokesperson said, adding, “That’s what the main aim should be at the moment!”
While talking to news agency Kashmir News Bureau, Advisor Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar said that the State Disaster Management Authority takes decisions related to Covid-19 situation in J&K.
The Advisor said, “SDMA are considering all aspects and steps are being taken considering the requirements of all the sections.”
He further said that presently all government servants are attending offices regularly.
However, on Tuesday, while responding to a question regarding the same, at a press conference in Srinagar, Div Com Kashmir P K Pole said that the matter is being reviewed. (KNB)