Team Herald
PANJIM: A section of the teaching staff on Saturday showed resentment over the contradictory instructions issued by the Director of Education (DoE) and General Administration Department (GAD).
It may be recalled that the GAD had issued an inter-office memorandum on April 21, in view of the rising COVID-19 cases, which covered aided-institutions including Primary, High, Middle and Higher Secondary schools as well.
The memorandum that also had recommendations from the Health Department, had stated that the staff which comes under Group C and below may attend up to 50 per cent strength and thus have 50 per cent attendance.
However, the next day, the Directorate of Education (DoE) issued a circular making it mandatory for the teaching and non-teaching staff to attend the school on a daily basis.
Several teachers including those who work in Higher Secondary Schools, who come under Group C category, pointed out that they are being forced to attend the work on a regular basis, which is against the GAD’s inter-office memorandum.
It is to be noted that GAD’s memo had stated that except for Group A and B officers, all other government departments are to work with restricted staff. The departments that are to function without any restrictions are Police, Home Guards, Civil Defence, Fire and Emergency services, Disaster Management, Prison, Treasury, District Administration, Forest Department and Municipal services.
Affected teaching staff questioned the purpose of the DoE’s circular given the prevailing pandemic and the threat it poses to them. They added that the department hasn’t learned from the experience of the previous year’s pandemic.
