'Count us out of census duty'

01 February,2011 07:04 AM IST |   |  Alifiya Khan

High court relief only for staff in unaided schools; teachers in aided and muncipal schools still stuck with Census duty want out too


High court relief only for staff in unaided schools; teachers in aided and muncipal schools still stuck with Census duty want out too

A High court order may have spared teachers from private unaided schools from Census duty, but the others are crying foul.

Overworked: Teachers who have been appointed as moderators are involved in Census duties. Representation pic

Those teaching in private aided and municipal schools and the University of Pune (UoP) too want to be relieved of Census duties.u00a0

Principals said they are managing with barely any staff and if this was the situation, then board examinations would suffer. Shailaja Sontakke, principal of Huzurpaga Girls' High School, said 25 of the 59 teachers were on Census duty.

"We are operating on half the strength and preliminary examinations are going on. I don't know how we will finish corrections for these papers and if we would be able to hold any extra classes for weak students.

Besides, board examinations and practicals start in less than 10 days. I don't know how we will manage, as the same teachers who are appointed as moderators are involved in Census duties," she said.

Many school principals have complained to the SSC board office but have not received any reply.

"I don't know if they think we have any superpowers. They expect us to be in two places at the same time. We are to do Census duties as well as conduct examinations, check papers and come out with fair and square results. Any person knows this will lead to confusion and malpractice but the board doesn't seem to understand," said a member of the Maharashtra State Teachers Council.

The situation at the University of Pune is no better. Of the 800-odd staff at the UoP, the Pune Municipal Corporation has asked for 180 employees for Census work.

The University of Pune which is already facing a 30 per cent shortage of staff had asked for some relief but has been refused.

UoP officials complained that with examinations, results, admissions, affiliation of colleges, new admissions scheduled to takeu00a0 place during the same period, the varsity had no plan on how to deal with the situation.
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University of Pune Census duty Pune