After remaining closed for over a year and a half due to Corona pandemic situation, the educational institutions are scheduled to reopen on next Sunday (September 12).
Considering the safety of the students, the government had taken initiative to vaccinate all the teachers and staff of the school-college against Covid-19, before opening the educational institution.
However, many teachers and staff are still reluctant to get vaccinated. In Mirzaganj upazila of Patuakhali, more than 150 teachers and staff of various educational institutes did not get themselves vaccinated yet.
The Ministry of Education has made it mandatory for teachers to be vaccinated before opening an educational institution but, 171 teachers and stuff of Mirzaganj upazila have not yet taken the vaccine ignoring the government instructions. Local health experts fear that the students may be harmed by their negligence. According to the Upazila Primary and Secondary Education Office, there are 2,123 teachers working in 209 educational institutions including colleges, Madrasa, secondary and primary schools in the upazila. There are 342 teachers in 7 colleges including 1 government college, 565 in 32 secondary schools, 483 in 28 madrasas including Ibtedayi, Dakhil, Alim, Fazil and 733 teachers working in 142 government primary schools.
Of these, 313 teachers have been vaccinated at the college level, 505 at the secondary level, 441 at the Madrasa and 693 at the primary level. The remaining 171 have not yet been vaccinated. This number of teachers consists 8.05 percent of all the teaching staff working in the upazila.
Local health officials say the government has announced the reopening of educational institutions after ensuring 100 per cent vaccination activities to make up for the loss of students in Corona pandemic. Despite the government's directive, teachers and staff have not yet been vaccinated, which is very unfortunate. They expressed concern that the students may be harmed by this negligence. Upazila Academic Supervisor Md Mostafizur Rahman said, “We have written to all the educational institutions to the effect that no teacher can go to the educational institution without vaccination on September 12.
We have sent the information of those who have not yet been vaccinated to the higher authorities. I do not know the exact reason for this. However, they have been instructed to get vaccinated as soon as possible.”Upazila Primary Education Officer KM Nazrul Islam said 693 out of 733 teachers and staff of the primary school have been vaccinated.
However, some teachers and staff could not get vaccinated due to being on maternity leave and having newborns. If the government decides to vaccinate them, they will also be vaccinated as soon as possible.
