Students bat for teachers’ exemption from election duty
Suhas Deshpande, a teacher with Ramanbaug School in Shaniwarpeth said that the government was roping in teachers for poll duties despite a Supreme Court directive against it. “The apex court in the Election Commission of India (ECI) vs St Mary’s School, Delhi, had held that teaching staff shall be put on roll revision and election duty only during holidays and non-teaching days. It held that teachers should not ordinarily be put on duty on teaching days and during teaching hours. The ruling also held that under the right to education, a fundamental right with regard to Article 21A of the constitution, it is obligatory on the part of the state to ensure that students are not deprived of it,” he said.
More than 200 teachers from different local government-aided schools have been engaged by the election authorities for work related to election preparations since October 1. These are mostly teachers from Marathi medium schools.
The State Directorate of Education (Primary) had also sent a letter to the School Education department in October last year demanding exemption of teachers from election duties.
Speaking to
Be the first to comment.
