A prominent teachers' association in the national capital has urgently appealed to the Chief Minister, flagging what it calls blatantly discriminatory attendance rules for educators during periods of hazardous air quality. The group argues that while other sectors are permitted to reduce physical presence, school staff are forced to commute daily, risking their health in the toxic smog.
The Core Discrepancy in Government Policy
In a letter dated December 19, the Loktantrik Adhyapak Manch Delhi highlighted a critical inconsistency. They noted that the Labour Department's directives under GRAP-IV restrictions allow private offices to operate with only 50% physical staff to curb vehicular emissions. However, the Education Department has not issued any similar protective guidelines for its own teaching and non-teaching staff.
The letter forcefully stated that it is logically flawed and unfair to deny government teachers the same safeguards, especially when students have already shifted to hybrid or online learning modes. This forces nearly 100% of teachers to travel to schools that are largely empty, unnecessarily exposing them to dangerous levels of air pollution.
The 'Frontline Paradox' Faced by Educators
The association's president, Krishan Kumar Phogat, pointed out a painful irony he termed the 'frontline paradox'. He reminded the administration that teachers are routinely the first to be mobilized for critical national and state duties, including election conduct, BLO responsibilities, economic surveys, and Census work.
"It is deeply disheartening that when it comes to safeguarding their own lives and lungs against 'severe+' AQI levels, their health is treated as secondary," Phogat stated. The group emphasized that the government's stated principle of 'health over physical presence' must be applied uniformly, including to the education sector.
Specific Demands and Government Silence
The letter outlines clear demands to rectify this situation. The teachers have requested the Directorate of Education to immediately issue a circular mandating a 50% rotational attendance system for all staff. They also seek official permission for work-from-home arrangements to conduct online classes effectively.
Expressing disappointment, the letter added that the administration's silence on this urgent matter is being perceived as a lack of empathy towards those who build the nation's future. Queries sent to the government regarding these concerns have reportedly gone unanswered.
The ongoing severe air quality crisis in Delhi has thus sparked a new debate on workplace safety and equitable policy implementation, with the city's educators demanding their right to breathe safely.
