Nizamabad: 'No disinfection drive at schools'

Nizamabad: The government, which started schools for ninth and tenth class students across the State from February 1, had allegedly failed in implementing Covid-19 precautions. The officials of Education department are not disinfecting the schools and colleges, thus playing with the lives of the students in the erstwhile Nizamabad district.

It should be reminded here that schools and colleges across the State were closed for over a year due to Covid-19 pandemic. After conducting online classes for a few months, the State government has decided to resume classes of ninth and tenth standards from February 1. Parents were still reluctant to send their wards to physical classes, who were thinking how far the schools are safe, if proper precautions were not taken.

PRTU State Association president Marri Jayapal Reddy lamented that the teachers were forced to clean classrooms and even toilets to protect the students from coronavirus. He said that he himself cleans the toilets in Government High School in Godishala village of Saidapur mandal in Karimnagar district. 93 students, studying ninth and tenth classes were attending the school in Godishala, he added.

The same is the case in Bodhan town, where the government school teachers are cleaning school toilets in Bodhan town due to lack of scavengers. 108 students from 9th and 10th classes were attending the school at Rakasipet. Girl students are struggling to take protective measures to prevent infection in school toilets.

It should be reminded here that last year the government had removed scavengers working in schools due to financial burden. The responsibility of cleaning school toilets was given to gram panchayats, who is not doing its work due to lack of staff.

Besides, after the schools were opened, key touch points like benches, windows, desks, staircases in the schools were not disinfected till date. The disinfection drive was not conducted reportedly due to lack of funds.

Neither any special on-the-go team not visiting the schools to conduct awareness drives for the school staff, while disinfecting key touch points. Without taking precautions to make educational institutions as worry-free spaces for parents, the government is creating panic among them and put them in dilemma whether to sends their children to schools or not.