General Education Minister V.S. Sivankutty’s office, in a statement here on Thursday, said cleaning, disinfection and clearing of undergrowth will be taken up in schools with public participation from October 20 to 30 ahead of the reopening of schools. Mr. Sivankutty appealed that cleaning operations must taken up in connection with Gandhi Jayanti as well.
The talks discussed steps to make available masks, thermal scanner, pulse oxymeter, and sanitisers in schools. These arrangements would be made by the school-level people’s committees. It should be ensured that parents, teachers and school staff have taken two doses of COVID-19 vaccination.
The Minister is scheduled to meet student and labour organisations, District Collectors, mayors, district panchayat presidents and Education Department officials in the coming days.
Talks slammed
Meanwhile, the Federation of Higher Secondary Teachers’ Association has criticised the Minister for convening talks with a section of teachers’ organisations in the morning, taking decisions, and then meeting other teachers’ organisations in the afternoon.
The federation protested at the meeting, alleging that the government failure to consider all recognised organisations the same was anti-democratic and politically motivated. The organisations promised full support of teachers for the reopening of schools.
The Minister’s office said 38 teacher organisations and 19 youth organisations participated in the meeting.
