Coronavirus: Madhya Pradesh Asks Teachers To Work From Home

The Madhya Pradesh School Education Department has asked the teachers to work from home in view of coronavirus spread. In a separate order, the Madhya Pradesh government on Sunday directed the employees and officials of all its departments, except to the departments providing essential and emergency services, like health, police, fire brigade, electricity supply and sanitation, to work from home starting Monday till March 31 due to the coronavirus threat, reported news agency Press Trust of India. 

The order asking all department staff to work from home was issued by Additional Chief Secretary of the state General Administration Department (GAD), K K Singh. 

The agency also reported that the employees and officials have also been asked to provide their details, including all the phone numbers and address to the department heads. 

Earlier, when the schools were ordered to be kept shut, the teachers had been asked to visit their school during the regular duty hours.

On Thursday, keeping the emerging coronavirus spread in view, the Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education has postponed all the examinations scheduled in the state till March 31. The MPBSE board has also suspended the paper evaluation process scheduled to begin from March 22. The Board said the new dates for both the examinations and evaluation process will be announced later.

On Saturday, the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development has also directed all education bodies to allow work from home to all teaching and non-teaching staff till March 31. The MHRD letter which was addressed to national education regulators like UGC, AICTE, NCTE, CBSE, NTA, and NIOS, also has advisory on the conduct of staff while working from home.

Teachers, researchers, and faculty members have been advised to utilize the time in developing online content, online evaluation, and in online teaching. They also have to prepare lesson plan and develop instructional material for the courses which will be offered in the next semester or year.

As of Sunday afternoon, coronavirus has infected close to 350 people and the COVID-19 has killed six persons in India.

(With PTI Inputs)

Click here for more Education News