Offline classes: Private schools seek free Covid treatment for children, teachers

The private unaided schools, college managements and parents have demanded the state government to provide free Covid-19 treatment for students contracting the virus during offline classes.

Following the recommendation by the Dr Devi Shetty committee which suggested for health insurance of Rs 2 lakh for schoolchildren, the representatives of private schools and college managements and parents opined that, “Rs 2 lakh is nothing compared to Covid-19 treatment expenses.”

“We demand the government to ensure free Covid-19 treatment for every child who attends offline class because we are all aware how expensive the Covid treatment is,” said D Shashi Kumar, general secretary, Associated Management of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka.

Even parents have started inquiring with schools about the availability of health insurance for children. “The government should take the complete health responsibility of children before resuming offline activities. If in case any child is infected after attending offline class, then the government should extend necessary assistance for the treatment, starting from providing beds to bearing the cost of the treatment,” said Shashi Kumar.

H K Manjunath, president, Karnataka State Government Secondary Schools Assistant Masters Association, said, “Even the government is aware of the problems pertaining to beds and ICUs during the second wave. Now, with experts repeatedly saying children below 18 years are vulnerable in the third wave, the government should keep things ready considering the number of school-going children, and announce free treatment for both students and teachers if they get infected after attending offline classes.”

“There are reports about people getting infected with Covid-19 even after the two doses of vaccination. So, we teachers want assurance from the government about free treatment or reimbursement after the treatment,” said a teacher working with a government school in Bengaluru.

Meanwhile, some private unaided schools have started working out group insurances for teaching and non-teaching staff.