Classes face disruption amid vaccination drive in school buildings, teachers demanding shots

Representative image: Twitter/@ANI

The Covid-19 vaccine rollout began on January 16 and in the first phase healthcare workers are being given the shots. However, amidst this, schools from across the country fear that use of their physical campuses for vaccination and teachers seeking shots could delay the resumption of physical classes.

Schools across the country had resumed physical classes, especially from Classes IX to XII, in the runup to the board examinations. Moneycontrol had reported on how costs had increased for these schools due to the infection-control measures.

Dhanbad’s Bal Bhavan Vidya Mandir, which reopened about a month ago, is now seeing requests from local bodies to release a few classrooms for vaccination purposes.

“Won’t this hinder our daily classes? But we also find it unfair to refuse because it is the frontline workers whose health is of prime importance. If classrooms are made vaccination points, then we have to move back to online schooling,” said Chairman Manoj Sinha.

At Tiruvelveli’s Jasmine Public High School, principal K John Arasan said that teachers are now demanding they be provided the vaccine at the school’s cost to resume classes. The school, with a class strength of 25 students each, reopens on January 19.

“We have heard that the Serum Institute vaccine will be sold in the market for Rs 1,000 per dose. Our school has 16 teachers, so we incur Rs 16,000 on one dose alone. And two doses means Rs 32,000,” Arasan added.

Apart from the teachers, administrative staff and house-keeping workers have also sought access to the vaccine. Until now, the school had remained shut and classes were being held online.

What are the concerns?

Schools have already lost close to seven months of physical classes due to the nationwide lockdown to minimise the coronavirus spread. While online classes had begun from April 2020 onwards, with full-day (six hour) classroom lessons being replaced by 2-3 hours of digital teaching.

“When we are getting ready to reopen schools, there are new hurdles coming in. Board exams are just a few months away and practical tests for Class X and XII will begin from March. How can schools be given up for vaccination?” questioned Noida-based Shrikant Shekhawat, who runs two private schools in the Delhi-NCR region.

He added that local bodies have suggested that schools take up alternative sites like nearby indoor sports stadiums and auditoriums for the vaccination days so that students don’t lose out.

However, Shekhawat added that this would only lead to costs ballooning for the management.

On an average, private schools incur annual expenses of about Rs 3 crore to 5 crore, depending on the number of students. The most prominent expenses include staff salaries (55 percent), stationery (10 percent), electricity expenses (20 percent) and school maintenance, including buildings and playgrounds (20 percent).

Taking up temporary premises on rent could cost another Rs 40,000-50,000 monthly, an expense Shekhawat calls ‘wasteful’.

What are teachers saying?

Schools may have resumed partially but parents prefer their children continuing online lessons, while teachers are still finding it risky to take physical classes.

If classrooms are made vaccination points, then we have to move back to online schooling

- Manoj Sinha

Kolkata-based Sraboni Bagchi, who teaches English and Geography at a private school, said that the demand is justified.

“We are risking our lives to travel to school so that the students don’t lose out. For Class X students, online lessons won’t work any longer because exams are close. Why shouldn’t the school management be able to buy vaccines for us,” she said.

The school she is employed in has 43 staff members, including 28 teachers, eight administrative officials and seven housekeeping staff.

However, it is unlikely that schools will bear the entire vaccination cost. Moneycontrol spoke to 11 school management personnel across India and the consensus was that they could either part-fund the cost or give one day’s leave to teachers for vaccination whenever their turn comes.

“If you were in a regular corporate job, will your company pay for you to get vaccinated? This demand by teachers is not justified,” said Mumbai-based education consultant Prateek Tyagi.