Bargarh: At a time when Covid infection cases are rising in Bargarh district, the government’s doorstep education system as an alternative to teaching students in classrooms has suffered a setback due to opposition from locals and guardians, a report said.
Faced with such a situation, the district teachers’ association has boycotted the system. Before Covid pandemic started spreading across the state, the government closed schools and colleges. Teaching was badly affected in all districts.
To deal with the situation, the government thought of an alternative to impart education at the doorstep of kids through teachers. It implemented the Alternative Learning and Mentorship Programme (ALMP) under which around 4,700 teachers were asked to stay at their respective headquarters and reach out to 0.3 million school-going children of Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste communities.
The government found it crucial to ensure children continue to learn even as the schools are closed. The ALMP initiative innovated by the government to reach out to the most marginalized and vulnerable of tribal children.
In view of this, the SC/ST welfare department issued an order to this effect.
However, the district teachers’ body has boycotted this.
Citing reasons for the boycott, the teacher’s body submitted a memorandum to Collector Jyotiranjan Pradhan. In the memorandum, they stated that Covid situation in both rural and urban areas in the district has spiraled out of control and there is panic in villages.
“If Covid cases are detected in some areas, people there are panicked and do not allow teachers from outside, fearing spread of infection,” they pointed out.
They also said that most of the SC/ST students belong to the families of migrant bread earners and poor economic background. For that reason, Covid has spread in villages. Teachers also fear that they would contract the virus in pandemic affected villages, if they visit.
On the other hand, a teacher has been asked to impart teaching in five villages. Most of these teachers are aged over 50 and having chronic diseases. Another thing they pointed out that a teacher is supposed to teach 20 to 40 students.
The teachers’ association observed that visiting villages to impart education is as good as inviting Covid infections for them while locals oppose outside teachers coming to their doorsteps.
The association has demanded immediate halt of the ALMP at the crucial Covid times.
PNN