Request for O/L exam staff to receive COVID vaccines disregarded
View(s):The health authorities have ignored a request made by the Examination Department to have all teachers and staff who will be working in the Ordinary Level (O/L) examination centres vaccinated.
A request from the Examinations Commissioner General to have the 46,000 people working to conduct the 2020 O/L examinations has not been heeded, the Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) said last week.
In a letter dated February 17 addressed to the Health Director General, and copied to Presidential Adviser Lalith Weeratunge, Examinations Commissioner Sanath Pujitha has said teachers, principals and other staff scheduled to work in the 4513 centres island-wide need to be vaccinated before March 01, as they would be exposed to COVID-19 if not.
CTU General Secretary Joseph Stalin said it was important that the exams administration staff at the centres be inoculated, as there would be students coming from highly affected areas as well as those who were isolating or afflicted with COVID.
“Giving them protection will ensure the smooth conducting of the exams,” Mr. Stalin said.
He also said even though provisions had been made for sanitisers and masks, no allocations had been made for the provision of gloves for the staff.
“Wearing gloves is important as the staff will be handling thousands of exam papers daily at the centres,” he said.
The 2020 O/L exams scheduled to be held in December last year were postponed several times, and would take place from tomorrow until March 10.
(CC )