School reopening: Vaccination of teachers, non-teaching staff in full swing across Kashmir

Srinagar: Vaccination drive for teachers and non-teaching staff is in full swing across Kashmir even though the government steering committee is yet to take a call on the reopening of schools.

Director School Education Kashmir (DSEK) Tasaduq Hussain Mir said the steering committee will take a call on school reopening and teachers. He further said the teachers and non-teaching staff were currently being vaccinated as part of the extensive vaccination drive launched by the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir (DSHK).

“Community classes are being held in all rural areas that do not have access to online classes. The decision to resume regular classes will be taken by the steering committee headed by the chief secretary. The vaccination drive has already been started. Teachers and non-teaching staff are too being covered as part of the overall vaccination drive of the concerned authorities (DHSK) that is in full swing,” Mir told The Kashmir Monitor.

However, he maintained that the vaccination drive was not linked to reopening of schools.

Last week, the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir had issued a notification that the vaccination drive for teaching, non- teaching staff and eligible students would be done before re-opening of colleges and schools after the Covid lockdown.

Director Health Services Kashmir, Dr Mushtaq Ahmed Rather said they had kick-started vaccination drive from Amar Singh College earlier this week on Wednesday and the same will be held in other colleges. He further said the drive was aimed to get staff and students vaccinated before the reopening of education institutions.

“DHSK would hold more vaccination drives in the future so that all students and staff get vaccinated. It is aimed at getting as many as staff members and students vaccinated before the government decides the opening of educational institutions in the valley,” he said.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has last month extended the closure of all educational institutions in the union territory till July 15.

The JK Education Chamber (JKEC), an amalgam of private schools associations, has already urged the government to start offline classes in a phased manner.