Local leaders have requested civic body for leeway to be given to a section of teachers on humanitarian grounds
Teachers have already been burdened with digitisation tasks. REPRESENTATION PIC/ISTOCK
If elections are the democratic right of citizens, they have turned into a democratic fright for teaching staff. Given that teachers have already been roped into duties for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections scheduled on January 15, 2025, local leaders have written to the civic body asking for leeway with the additional responsibilities.
“We request you not to procure the services of pregnant teachers, teachers with young children, all teachers above 54 years of age, teachers suffering from serious illnesses, and teachers with disabilities in the upcoming municipal corporation elections,” wrote JM Abhyankar, Shikshak Sena president and Member of Legislative Council (MLC), in a letter to the civic body.
The state has already assigned a number of tasks to teachers. REPRESENTATION PIC/ISTOCK
The letter goes on to state that the previous year’s election cycle saw complaints from several teachers about the shortcomings of infrastructural facilities at election centres. A lack of separate and safe spaces for female teachers, inadequate toilets, and the shortage of food/refreshments etc. at the polling stations are the common complaints by teachers in past polls.
The letter also requests that considering the late meetings and disturbances in public transport, which become an added hassle for those appointed as polling station presidents, all female teachers be dismissed by 8 pm.
Common plaints from teachers
>> Stress amid exam season
>> Election duty amid existing shortage of civic students
>> Juggling added digitisation tasks with election duty
>> Physically strenuous election tasks for older teachers
Voices
Seema Deepak Alaskar, president, Additional Teachers Department, Maharashtra Shikshak Sena
‘At the moment, we have several teachers who are working through both morning and afternoon shifts. Since they are now also contributing to election duty, teachers are working through Sundays and even bank holidays like Christmas. The state already assigns a lot of digitisation tasks to the teachers, and this responsibility comes in as an added burden’
A teacher
‘I am over 55 (years old) and about to retire in a few months. I was tasked to distribute orders to more than 10 schools. In the middle of the task, I started facing vertigo problems and had to bow out of the task. Just like me, there are several others who are close to retirement and are still running around on duty’
Jan 15
Day BMC elections will be held
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