Chennai, Jan 12 (BPNS)
The Tamil Nadu college teachers want the government to allow them to come to the institution on a rotational basis as the Covid -19 cases are surging in the state. The college teachers said that several teachers are getting infected with the disease and a teacher had passed away on Tuesday, due to Covid -19.
The colleges in Tamil Nadu are closed and students need not attend classes after the Covid -19 cases surged ahead in the state but the teachers are to come on a daily basis to college campus. This is creating fear among the teachers as a large number of them are getting affected by the disease and this is leading to the disease spreading to homes as well as neighbourhoods.
A teacher at Madurai Government Arts College while speaking to BPNS said, “ Teachers are now forced to come to colleges even though there are no classes for students. Most of the teachers have taken both the vaccines but as you know the cases are increasing and affecting those who are vaccinated. Several teachers have comorbidities and they are being admitted to hospitals once they are affected by the Covid -19 virus. The government must think of our safety and should take some measures to relieve us of this woes.”
Teachers said that the college classes are shut and online classes are also not there and teachers are going to colleges just for the sake of duty and the government directing them to go. Most of the teachers are travelling in crowded public transports like buses and suburban trains exposing themselves to the disease.
In Chennai also teachers are worried about the high rate of Covid -19 in the city with Tuesday recording 18.1 % Test Positivity Rate which is much higher than the 10.3% TPR for Tamil Nadu. A teacher at the Government Arts College, Chennai while speaking to BPNS said, “Government seems to have no care for the teachers who are getting exposed to the virus while travelling in public transport and with comorbidities on a high among the teachers, we will have to be admitted in a hospital or a health centre. This is taking our toll and I request the Government of Tamil Nadu to at least give the liberty to reach school on a rotational basis.”
Tamil Nadu Government College Teacher association however said that with all the Government office staff in Tamil Nadu reaching their respective offices, the association cannot speak to the government to provide relief to the teachers from going to college.
However, the position taken by the Government College Teacher Association was rebuked by the teachers. A teacher on conditions of anonymity and working at a Government College in Chennai while speaking to BPNS said, “ The Teacher association is a useless body. They should have intervened in this matter. Instead, this organization is trying to belittle teachers. We are not like Government office staff, if there are no classes for students, what is the reason for teachers to come to college. Our profession is to teach students and if it is not happening, then why waste our time and get exposed to the virus.”
