With gradual slowdown in the intensity of the second wave of pandemic, the Jammu & Kashmir Government has very rightly asked teachers to report back to their duties in schools not for teaching students in classes but for attending routine administrative and institutional matters. By all stands of understandabilities the government decision is a welcome move as the return of teachers to government run schools is by all standards of understandabilities a good beginning for unlocking classes in short near future. Though all now depends on the eruption of third wave of pandemic but with sharp dip in the intensity of the second wave of the pandemic the schools have to be ready for unlocking classes’ at least for taking the annual examination of the current academic session in October-November this year. Suspension of dozens of government teachers for remaining absent from duties in several parts of Kashmir valley is obviously a message to the teachers that they can’t take the orders of reporting back to their duties casually but have to be physically and mentally ready for resuming the routine class work physically in their classes at a short notice any time in next one or two months as and when the fear of the arrival of third wave of the pandemic ends. Keeping in view the fact that open air community classes are already being conducted in several government and private schools in major towns and villages across Kashmir, the government has taken appropriate measures for readying teachers to resume class work at schools.
Finally for managements of private schools the issue of asking teachers to report back to their duties is a matter of both unlocking classes and as well as a broader social responsibility-revival of education. Teachers and educationists who are part of teaching-learning process in both private and Government schools have to show eagerness in reporting back to their duties in pursuit of a broader social responsibility called “education”.
Since the managements of the private schools of Srinagar city are yet to ask their teachers to report back to their duties the restoration of class work could be difficult for the private schools in Srinagar city. Wisdom demands that managements of private schools should have on their own asked their teachers to report for duty as the teachers of private schools like their contemporaries of government schools can take online classes from their schools also. Presence of teachers at private schools is as demanding for private schools as it is for the teachers of government run schools. Finally for managements of private schools the issue of asking teachers to report back to their duties is a matter of both unlocking classes and as well as a broader social responsibility-revival of education. Teachers and educationists who are part of teaching-learning process in both private and Government schools have to show eagerness in reporting back to their duties in pursuit of a broader social responsibility called “education”.
