Schools, colleges question teachers’ training for polls

MUMBAI: Adjusting the exam schedule as per the forthcoming assembly polls is the

last headache of schools and colleges. Of primary concern

is teachers' election duty

training.

"We are yet to be informed about the dates on which teachers need to go for training.

This will upset our exam schedule. Moreover, this time around, election duty has been assigned to a lot of unaided schools. Why should teachers of private schools go on election

duty?" said Rajesh Pandya, vice-president, Teachers' Democratic Front.

The Maharashtra State Secondary and Higher Secondary School Principals' Association plans to write to the state child rights commission for intervention. "Time and again, polls are scheduled around examinations. Students get affected due to last-minute changes to schedules and this creates a problem for them during preparation. We will write to the commission to look into the matter so that the exams are not affected henceforth," said the association's spokesperson, Prashant Redij.

Colleges have decided to wait for the announcement of the training dates before drawing up their exam timetable. "We cannot hold it up for too long, since students need enough time to prepare. We are in touch with the collector's office and hope the dates will be declared in two or three days. Once that is done, we will announce the timetable," said Dinesh Panjwani, principal, R D National College, Bandra. "If Mumbai University reschedules exams, it will affect a very large number of students."

Examiners and moderators appointed by the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education for the supplementary HSC and SSC examinations are hoping for election duty exemption. "A couple of days for training and then two days of polls will eat into our assessment time. During the Lok Sabha elections, an exemption was granted, but since it was a last-minute decision, we were not able to find replacements," said an SSC examiner.

Teachers have also raised concerns over poor working conditions during poll duty. "The resources at polling booths are not enough. Teachers have to work long hours and sometimes it is past midnight by the time we hand over EVMs to the Election Commission. This causes fatigue. Such late hours are also unsafe for women teachers, who need to go home," said Redij.

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