Several schools are facing a tough time managing classes and arranging for substitutes because many teachers are on sick leave.
Teachers in the last two weeks have been absent because of fever, redness in the eye and throat infection said school heads who approved their leave applications.
At least two schools said they had eight to 10 teachers absent every day this week.
Another school said the number of absentees was three to four teachers every day last week and it has gone up this week.
In one school 12 teachers were absent on Saturday.
“Since teachers interact with children, if there is the slightest hint of infection it is advisable to go on leave,” said Amita Prasad, director, Indus Valley World School.
To make up for the absence of teachers, some of the schools are increasing the number of co-curricular or activity or games periods, especially in junior classes.
In senior classes, a teacher’s absence impacts the curriculum transaction and completion of the syllabus.
In junior classes, it is difficult to keep children engaged because they relate to the teachers they are familiar with, said principals.
“To make up for the teachers who are absent the existing teachers have to give up on some of their off periods,” said Koeli Dey, principal, Sushila Birla Girls’ School.
Schools have been facing this situation for the last 10 days or so.
“If many teachers remain absent on a particular day it becomes difficult to arrange for substitutes,” said Rodney Borneo, principal, St Augustine’s Day School Shyamnagar.
In Julien Day School Kalyani, for example, teachers in senior classes are asked to continue teaching for an additional period to fill in for an absent teacher. After the teacher returns he/she would do the same for that teacher.
“This would help the completion of the syllabus. But there is a constraint because the teacher might not be free at all times. We are facing a tough time managing the classes,” said Terence John, principal, Julien Day School Kalyani.
All this mounts pressure on teachers who are coming to school.
“We have to keep two things in mind, that students don’t go unsupervised and, simultaneously, that teachers are not overworked,” said Borneo.
Generally, teachers take five to six periods out of eight on a regular school day. With substitution they would barely have any free time, said a principal.
“It overworks teachers and some of them have back-to-back classes. We cannot expect them to take four or five consecutive periods,” said Jessica Gomes Surana, principal, Loreto Day School Elliot Road.
“The problem is acute if a teacher is absent in junior or pre-primary classes because there the class teacher takes most of the classes,” she added.
