A government school in the Sundarbans has been told by a neighbouring hospital that the vaccination of its students between 15 and 18 will begin on Monday. A city school is still awaiting a jab schedule.
At least four private schools in the city will start vaccinating their students on their campuses next week, one of them on Tuesday.
The school education department, in association with the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, will start vaccination of students on Monday in 16 government and government-aided schools in Kolkata, an official of the department said.
Beginning Monday, the KMC will cover 16 schools — one in each borough — every day. Several private schools are tying up with hospitals to conduct vaccination on their premises. They can also approach the civic body, an official of the corporation said
Kanaknagar SD Institution in Hingalganj, in the Sunderbans, a government school, is making arrangements on its campus for the first round of vaccination on Monday.
“We have been asked to keep a computer with internet connectivity ready and also assign a computer teacher. We have 740 students who are eligible for the jab and we have shared the number with the hospital,” said headmaster Pulak Roy Chowdhury.
Government and aided schools in the city where vaccination will begin on Monday are Bagbazar Multipurpose Girls' School, Sakhawat Memorial Government Girls’ High School, Bethune Collegiate School, Jagadbandhu Institution and Chetla Girls High School.
Private institutions that will start the drive next week are South Point High School, The Heritage School, Rammohan Mission High School and Indus Valley World School.
South Point is scheduled to start on Tuesday. Every day, 500 students will be vaccinated.
“We have about 3,000 students who are eligible for the vaccine and will need around a week. Since students will be accompanied by parents, we will make arrangements for a waiting area,” said Krishna Damani, trustee, South Point.
Private schools and also some of the government institutions are sending out consent forms to parents.
“Guardians can think of taking their children elsewhere to receive the jab and therefore, we have sought their consent which they will be expected to submit on Monday,” said Papia Singha Mahapatra, headmistress of Sakhawat Memorial Government Girls’ High School.
Singha Mahapatra said students would have to come with their identity cards and their Aadhaar cards. If students do not turn up, it will be assumed that they will not take the vaccine at school, a school head said.
“We have 948 students eligible for vaccination and we have submitted the data to the civic body. We hope to get a schedule soon,” said Parimal Bhattacharya, headmaster of Jadavpur Vidyapith.
Jayanta Bhattacharya, headmaster of Hare School, said he would want students to take the vaccination on the campus because that would minimise exposure.