Mumbai: While schools across Maharashtra reopened on June 16, welcoming students with ceremonies and events, all 18 teachers of Sarvodaya Vidya Mandir, a secondary school in Malad West, were absent from classrooms on the first day of the new academic year. Instead, they were assigned to serve as Booth Level Officers (BLO) for the upcoming local body elections.
The unexpected order of the election duty is posing a challenge for the school to begin academic activities. “Many of us had previously worked in the election office for over 11 years and were eventually relieved from that responsibility. But this time, all 18 teachers and 10 non-teaching staff have received new orders from the election office,” said a teacher from the school. In a surprising turn, four teachers who had retired from the school also received duty letters.
The school management is concerned about how academic delivery would be carried out with no staff left to manage students. The teachers are worried about the impact of their absence on students and said that the crucial start-of-year activities like planning sessions, student orientation, and distribution of materials have been put on hold.
Raising objections to this situation, Shivnath Darade, Mumbai representative of the Shikshak Parishad, a teachers’ union, and Suhas Hirlekar, the Parishad’s chairperson, have written to the state education minister demanding immediate intervention. Their letter highlights that the first day of school is crucial for establishing routines and engaging students, especially to boost attendance and distribute supplies.
“In many schools, 100% of the teaching staff have been pulled out for election work. If teachers are not present on the first day, students will face academic setbacks,” the letter read.
The Parishad has requested that teachers be exempted from election duties starting June 16, to ensure uninterrupted teaching.
In response, Sandip Aher, a local government official, said the BLO role does not require full-time commitment. “Teachers can complete their election duties after school hours. It’s not a full-day assignment,” he explained.