The Tamil Nadu Primary School Teachers’ Federation has appealed to the State government to reopen classes for primary schools at the earliest, as the COVID-19 imposed lockdown for the last 18 months have badly affected the education of children of primary classes.
A resolution to this effect was taken at the federation’s executive committee meeting held in Madurai on Sunday.
The pandemic had led to closure of schools for the last one and a half years. As a result, the education of the students, especially that of the primary school students, has been affected.
The teachers are very keen to start classroom education for the primary school students at the earliest. Even the Indian Council for Medical Research has opined that the primary school classes should be started first. The Madras High Court too has expressed the same view.
The members stated that the majority of the rural schools in the State did not face any space constraint in the classrooms and these schools faced no issues in maintaining physical distance among students under standard operating procedures.
The State government can consider functioning of schools with students on rotational basis as a precautionary measure against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The federation has also sought 11% Dearness Allowance hike to the State Government employees with effect from January 1, 2021, on part with Central Government employees. The strike days of JACTTO-GEO members should be considered as working days and the transfer orders of those functionaries for participating in the agitation should be revoked, they demanded.
