Even as the Vidyagama initiative has been temporarily halted in the State over the COVID-19 scare, as many as five teachers have succumbed to the disease in Mysuru with 124 testing positive to the infection since August. One teacher's death has been reported from Chamarajanagar.
Sources in the Department of Public Instruction claimed that the COVID-19 deaths among the teaching community in Mysuru took place before and also after the launch of Vidyagama while arguing that the programme should not be solely blamed for the spread of the infection among teachers.
However, the teaching community working in the government schools is perturbed after the reports of their colleagues contracting the infection during an exclusive testing ocnducted for teachers here in anticipation of the reopening of schools.
The spread of infection led to a debate here on whether the programme should be suspended for now as a precaution until the cases recede in the interest of students and the teaching community.
The COVID-19 cases have crossed 40,000-mark in Mysuru with 7,467 active cases as on Friday. In total, 862 persons have died due to the infection, which is second highest after Bengaluru. The cumulative positive cases as on Friday were 41,058.
Mysuru district alone has over 9,000 teachers, including from the high schools and primary schools. As of now, nearly 6,000 teachers had undergone the COVID-19 test (Rapid Antigen Test) conducted for free by the Health Department on the department’s request and the remaining were expected to be tested in the next few days.
Mysuru was among the foremost districts to subject the government school teachers to mandatory testing in anticipation of reopening of schools with the Centre lifting the restrictions. However, the State government, after growing concerns expressed by the parents and the public in general, has made it clear that the schools were not reopening now with cases on the surge.
When contacted, Uday Kumar, Education Officer, DDPI Office, Mysuru confirmed the cases and said most infected teachers are under home isolation. Five deaths due to COVID-19 have occurred since August. Many teachers have already recovered. Barring one taluk, 124 teachers had tested positive in eight taluks in the district.
In Chamarajanagar district, 35 teachers had tested positive and31 had recovered. Those in hospitals had been discharged and only three are in hospital till date. A teacher died of COVID-19 in the district. Chamarajanagar taluk reported 23 cases, which was the highest in the district, and the least was reported from Hanur where one teacher was infected, according to DDPI Jaware Gowda.
While no deaths had occurred in Kodagu, 44 cases had been reported in the coffee district. A total of 32 teachers have already recovered.
DDPI P.S. Machado said four schoolchildren from the aided schools had contracted the infection. Kodagu has 1,439 teachers from 467 schools.
If the decision to suspend Vidyagama for the time being has brought relief to teachers, with some of them even on COVID-19 duty as well, apprehensions were expressed since the beginning of the programme over teachers as well as children being exposed to the risks of contracting the infection.
The teachers had been told to engage in teaching visiting the community as many children, especially those in rural areas, were not able to afford online education, and such children should not be deprived of education. The outcome was positive as it kept the children engaged besides bringing more admissions to the government schools which had been shut down since last two years.