Mid-Day Opinion: The only job of teachers should be to teach

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Thousands of teachers from across Mumbai gathered at Azad Maidan recently to protest against additional duties assigned to them under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and as booth-level officers (BLOs).

We need to be concerned as organisations said the growing workload is forcing educators to leave schools early, reducing classroom hours and affecting students, particularly those in primary classes.

For context, it is important to note that the SIR is the process of updating electoral rolls. Teachers appointed as BLOs are required to: visit households, verify voter details distribute, collect forms, and update electoral records, among other things.

It is time for the government to depute alternative staff for these duties. The primary role and work of a teacher is to teach. One fails to understand why teachers are saddled with extra work, or work which does not have to apply to them. Is our government so short-staffed that it cannot train individuals or government officials to do this work?

Do they seriously think that teachers are doing no work and so must carry this burden too?

They are also being saddled both mentally and physically, as it is an onerous task creating stress away from the classroom and burdensome physically too, as it entails visiting homes.

Train those who did not have jobs or retired government officials to carry out such tasks.

We who take great pride in our education need justice and respect for the backbone of that system - the teachers.