Officials can’t just occupy school/college premises

The assembly hall of Wilson College, which is being utilised for poll duty ahead of the municipal election. PICS/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Preparations for the highly anticipated BMC election have had an unintended impact on staff and students at Wilson College, which overlooks Chowpatty, our front page report stated. Seven spaces on the college's ground floor, including the assembly hall, lecture, audio-visual, and common rooms, have been put to use for election duty, taking a toll on academic and extracurricular activities. Three of these spaces, as per college officials, have been utilised since February 2024. The other four spaces have been used for poll duty since mid-December.

The civic election will be held on January 15, and counting of votes will take place the following day. The college has to conduct a slew of examinations in the second half and late January, with students with disabilities needing to be accommodated on the ground floor. They need space for the large number of students who will be taking exams at the college. The college is a heritage building. Though elections are crucial for the city, it is academics first for a college.

We want to see that studies and students are given preference with regular communication channels open for the principal/college administrators and election in-charge.

Promises to vacate the space post elections must be kept and in fact, there must be a definite timeline for vacating the spaces which are needed for academics and on-campus college activities. One does understand that space has been demarcated or allotted to election officials. Yet, leaders need to understand that a school/college needs its space to too conduct activities.

Better and advanced planning is needed for elections in a space-crunched city. Let us see the college get back all its place permanently, including the three spaces that have been used since early last year, which is quite shocking to say the least.