Chandigarh teachers guard containment zones

Naina Mishra

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 19

Schoolteachers are facing a tough time guarding persons quarantined at their homes. Around 25 junior basic teachers (JBTs) have been deployed on seven-hour Covid duty outside containment zones.

These teachers have been deputed in the South subdivision which has reported the maximum cases and has more than 20 containment zones.

“We haven’t been provided with any safety equipment. Our duty begins at 6 am. We are not given chairs to sit. I also have to prepare online material for my students and send it to them. Our work has almost doubled with the Covid duty,” said a government schoolteacher. Another government schoolteacher said, “We have to stand guard behind barricades around five buildings that have been sealed.”

Swaran Singh Kamboj of the UT-Cadre Education Employees’ Union said, “Teachers, along with police personnel, have to go to the containment zones at night too. Besides, they have to take online classes. It is shocking that teachers are deputed on non-teaching duties. There will be many containment zones. Does this mean teachers will be deputed there on a regular basis?”

SDM (South) Satish Jain said, “This is an emergency situation and huge workforce is required for such duties. There is a requirement of 200 personnel to manage the containment zones. As schools are closed, teachers are partially free and hence we have deputed some of them on Covid duty.”

On Saturday, around 80 teaching and non-teaching staff, including JBTs, TGTs, PGTs and clerks, were deputed in micro-containment zones in the East subdivision.