Mumbai Teachers | Students’ Education Hangs in Balance as Mumbai Teachers Juggle Polling Duties
Mumbai : NpNews24 Online – Mumbai Teachers | Teachers Unions Press for Relief from Election Duties, Raising Concerns over Student Education The allocation of additional responsibilities to government school teachers, particularly their involvement in election-related work, has sparked intense discussions among education stakeholders. With the recent compulsory assignment of Booth Level Officer (BLO) duties, teachers unions have escalated their demands for a change. Voter registration officers have notified school principals, emphasizing that immediate action will be taken against non-compliant teachers who refuse to participate in BLO work. Consequently, teachers’ unions have grown increasingly assertive. (Mumbai Teachers)
A pressing concern has emerged for school principals: who will instruct the students when teachers are appointed as Polling Station Level Officers, also known as BLOs? The issue of BLO appointments must be addressed promptly; otherwise, students may have to be taught in the offices of the Collector and Inspector of Education, as warned by the teachers’ unions. These unions assert that all teachers in schools are facing pressure from Mumbai’s voter registration authorities to accept BLO appointments. In light of this, if all teachers are relieved of their current responsibilities, questions arise about how schools can continue functioning and who will assume the role of teaching the students. School administrators are left grappling with these unanswered queries.
Nearly all teaching and non-teaching staff in Mumbai district schools are being deployed as Polling Station Level Officers (BLOs). The new academic year commenced on June 15, and many teachers argue that their primary duty is to provide quality education to their students. With some teachers already commuting four hours daily, assigning them part-time or full-time BLO duties seems unjustifiable, given the additional 10 to 11 hours they spend outside their homes. Consequently, teachers’ unions have taken a strong stance, demanding the release from these duties and seeking intervention from the administration.
In contrast, voter registration officers have sent letters to schools, urging teachers to be prepared for immediate election work. It is suggested that the officers’ duties need not be carried out on a full-time basis but can be accommodated within teachers’ remaining time after fulfilling their educational responsibilities. The letter also cautions principals that action will be taken against non-compliant teachers or those who are dismissed. Consequently, the education community awaits the administration’s decision, as the spotlight falls on how this matter will be resolved.
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