CBSE directs schools to provide Covid vaccination data of staff by Thursday

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In response to the request by the CBSE school managements in the state to expedite the vaccination of staff members, the national board has directed all affiliated schools to furnish the detailed vaccination related information of teaching and non-teaching staff in schools by July 22. 

Representing the school managements, the National Council of CBSE Schools had written to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan pointing out the need for vaccinating all school staff on an urgent basis before taking a decision on resuming classroom-based teaching. There are close to 1.25 lakh teaching and non-teaching staff in nearly 1,400 CBSE- affiliated schools in the state and only 25% of them have been fully vaccinated till date.

In its representation, the Council urged that no school should be reopened for physical functioning till all the staff as well as students are fully vaccinated. This comes amid a debate on the limited reopening of schools at a later stage for face-to-face interaction between teachers and students, at least for Classes X and XII. 

“The above suggestion on vaccination is to be viewed from the latest opinion of the World Health Organisation (WHO) as well as the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) that the third wave of Covid may begin by the end of August 2021,” reminded Indira Rajan, secretary-general of the National Council of CBSE Schools in the letter to Pradhan.

The council also pointed out that any plans to go in for a ‘shift system’ in conducting classes may not be practical in all areas. In tribal or hilly areas, conducting classes in early or late shifts may pose issues relating to mobility and security. The shift system may also cause additional cost factors for schools and create extra financial burden on parents. The Covid situation across each state is varied and so are the approaches of the respective state governments in tackling them, the Council said.

No of CBSE schools in Kerala 1,400

No of staff members  1.25 lakh
Vaccination rate 25%
 

ACTION PLAN 
In response to the Council’s plea, CBSE has launched ‘Vaccination Information System of Schools’. A separate section has been opened on CBSE website for the purpose wherein schools can provide details of the vaccination status of the staff. CBSE secretary Anurag Tripathi has asked schools to furnish the information by 4pm on Thursday. The Board has urged schools to encourage teachers and non-teaching staff to undergo vaccination. A few CBSE school managements in the state have already undertaken vaccination drive for staff in private hospitals and have also borne the expenses for the initative.