Corona warriors: Teachers trace ‘missing’ students, serve at quarantine centres

The teachers earned praise from Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on the eve of teacher’s day for stepping up their efforts and going beyond their responsibilities during the pandemic.

Sarita Rani Bhardwaj, a teacher at a government school in Paschim Vihar, found it extremely difficult to trace the location of her students after a nationwide lockdown was announced in March.

“I first tried to contact everyone through the class WhatsApp groups and personally called every student multiple times. When I could not get through a few of them, I contacted a ration delivery person and asked him to check on their addresses. I could locate many more students this way, but still a few were left.

“I asked the ration delivery person to get me the contact details of their neighbours. I called them and started sending worksheets on their phones. When I got to know about students who have moved to different cities, I got books and study material sent through a courier service at their new places,” Bhardwaj said.

Alok Kumar Mishra, a social science teacher at the Government Senior Secondary School, Mangolpuri, is serving at a quarantine centre in Narela, besides taking online classes.

“I am working from a make-shift control room outside the flats being utilised as quarantine centres. I answer the phone calls for those in quarantine, solve their queries and tend to their needs. We have been provided with telephones and wireless mics, through which we convey important information to the headquarters, make announcements and send utilities to those quarantined.

“I work in the day and night shifts alternatively. Working this way has given me a great deal of satisfaction as I am being able to help my fellow citizens. I work on videos to be sent to my students in the other shift,” he said.

Similarly, Rajendra Prasad Sharma, a teacher from the Government Boys Senior Secondary School, Jharoda Kalan, is performing dual duties.

“I make video notes and send those to the students. I assign worksheets to them and they call me to clear their doubts. I take their calls promptly because at times, they call from a neighbour’s or an acquaintance’s phone. I also work at a quarantine centre,” he said.