Pune: Thousands of teachers in the state have been relieved from the COVID-19 duties assigned to them and have been asked to conduct regular online classes for students by the state government. Teachers were given various tasks like screening at check posts, conducting public awareness and surveys to control the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the school education department has now decided to bring back the teachers engaged in this work and let them focus on conducting online classes.

Teachers were tasked with preventing the spread of coronavirus and raising health awareness during COVID-19 outbreak in the state. They were working as coordinators, assistants and surveying citizens in schools converted into quarantine centres. 

Similarly, thousands of teachers in the state were rendering their services through this type of work. However, there was a long pending demand that teachers should be exempted from COVID-19 duty and they should be allowed to focus on teaching, especially with the online classes. Several teachers had refused to join 'COVID-19 duty' citing 'poor health' as a reason after which the education department, civic bodies and the state government had initiated action against such teachers for violating the orders.

Meanwhile, schools and junior colleges in the state are being run through an online education system. School and colleges are expected to reopen in the coming days if the COVID-19 cases count comes down in the state. Thus the school education department has decided to relieve the teachers engaged in COVID-19 duty across the state.

The government has issued orders today regarding relieving teachers from COVID-19 related work in the state. State Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad has been informed about this decision through her twitter account. In her tweet, Gaikwad says, "It has been decided to relieve the teachers who were assigned with COVID-19 related work in the state. Teachers who have not been appointed at any establishment at present will be called to a school near their place of residence and they will assist in delivering online education classes."