Sardarpur (Madhya Pradesh): Academic activities at the government schools here in Sardarpur tehsil of Dhar district have been hit as the administration has deployed government school teachers for the mega vaccination drive for past four days.
In Sardarpur tehsil alone about 80 % of school teachers from 365 primary and 95 middle schools have been engaged in the vaccination drive, said a source wishing anonymity. Though the officials did not have an exact number, but this numbers are in thousands.
The classes at schools have started after an order by administration but instead of focusing on the schoolkids, the schoolteachers are visiting every nuke and cranny in the tehsil to achive target of 100 % vaccination.
The vaccination mega drive was kicked-off on September 17 and it continued on September 19 and 20 (even on official holiday).
After people stopped visiting vaccination centres the administration ordered employees of health department and the teachers to vaccinate the rest of the people visiting their door steps.
Here, due to the rain, the roads and fields of the village have become full of mud and the vaccination teams are facing a lot of trouble to commute to remote places.
When Free Press spoke to the vaccination teams, members on condition of anonymity said that they have done more vaccination than expected by visiting door-to-door and agriculture farm even braving drizzle. Now few people left who are not getting the vaccination done. In such a situation, we cannot force them to go for vaccination.
Since September 17, teachers have been included in the vaccination campaign on a large scale. Due to which the education of the students is being ruined. The schools are closed for about one and a half years during the corona period. The education of the students is getting ruined even now as teachers are forced to perform vaccination duty.
The government seems to be least bothered about education of kids. The administration could have deployed Health Department and Women and Child Development Department’s staff for vaccination.
By employing teachers in the vaccination work, the administration is playing with the future of the students. Why the administration is ruining the future of the country? remains a big question, said a teacher wishing anonymity.
Official speaks
When contacted Sardarpur block education officer Pramod Kumar Mathur failed to give the number of teachers pressed for vaccination work. He said that the tehsil has 365 primary and 95 middle schools. He said to quote the exact number of teachers engaged in the vaccination work he will have to go through the duty chart.
When asked about vaccination duty affecting academic activities at the schools, he said that he is only carrying out the orders of senior officers.
When asked that due to the duty of teachers in the vaccination drive, there is an election of the School Management Committee on September 22, how will this order of the government be able to be followed? In response to this question, he said that he will have to refer to the senior officers before making a statement in this matter.
SDM speak
When asked about how many school teachers are engaged in the drive, SDM SDM Bondarsingh Kalesh said that the number is not available with him at present. When asked about School Management Committee polling, he disconnected the phone.
