NEW DELHI, January 22: Even as everybody is busy keeping tabs on political parties and candidates, government school teachers are opposing deputation on election duty.A number of organisations have written to the Chief Election Commissioner asking him to ensure that teachers are not put on election duty.
Government school buildings and teaching staff are deputed during the polling period resulting in disruption of classes for a number of days. Teachers say that this puts the students studying in these schools at a disadvantage since their counterparts in public schools continue with their normal schedule.
On the whole, government schools lose out on a number of working days. Whether it is the pulse polio campaign or the elections, teachers are put on duty and school buildings used regularly.
Teachers are also not too happy with the work they are expected to do. "It is a big hassle for all senior lady teachers if they are made presiding officers. They are required to deposit the ballot boxes at the
end of the day. During the last Lok Sabha elections one of our teachers from trans-Yamuna area had to travel across the city, fulfill the mandatory procedure and finished very late at night. Transportation becomes a problem in such cases," said B.P. Singh, President of the Government School Principals' Association.
Meanwhile, government-aided public schools have also objected to being put on election duty. "Firstly, we are not government schools, which allows teachers to contest or help in the elections. So, there are bound to be biases. Secondly, examinations are at hand and teachers are busy finishing the courses and conducting internal exams," said K.S. Verma, executive president of the Govt Aided & Public School's Staff Association.
Each representation to the Election Commission has been acknowledged and the teachers have been told that the matter will be considered.
Even parents of children in government schools are not too happy. For them, the fact that public schools continue functioning during
this period is irksome. "It is unfair to children studying in these schools. Already a number of working days are lost. At this stage they don't need another problem," said Kusum Jain, president of the Parents Forum for Meaningful Education.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
