West Bengal: Quarantine leave introduced for teachers testing COVID-19 positive

Earlier this month, the department announced its decision of introducing quarantine leave days for teachers after shutting campuses following a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases.

The West Bengal school education department in its latest order clarifying that teachers are entitled to take quarantine leave in case they test positive for COVID-19. Earlier this month, the department announced its decision of introducing quarantine leave days for teachers after shutting campuses following a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases.

An order released by the department of January 5 said quarantine leave is a leave of absence from duty necessitated by order not to attend office “in consequence of the presence of infectious disease in the family or household of such employees” at his or her place of duty, residence or sojourn.

However, the order did not mention whether the teachers are eligible to avail quarantine leave in case they themselves tested positive.

Saudipta Das, the general secretary of the collegium of assistant headmasters and assistant headmistresses stated that the heads of institutions were denying teachers quarantine leave in absence of the clarity and asking them to take medical leave.

Various officials complained that teachers are getting infected multiple times. If each time they would take medical leaves, then those leaves would get exhausted.

The department issued a fresh order to settle the contentious point. The latest order signed by a joint secretary reads, “Whereas some confusions have been created over the issue of grant of quarantine leave to the teacher/non-teaching staff who himself/herself is suffering from such infections disease including Covid-19….In view of the above, it is clarified the teacher/non-teaching staff on account of suffering by himself/ herself or other members of the family from the infectious disease including Covid-19, may avail quarantine leave.”

Read More: