Edu dept not to depute teachers for caste survey

The Department of School Education and Literacy has decided against deputing teachers for non-teaching tasks, and has made it clear that they will not be deployed for the fresh Educational and Social Survey scheduled to be conducted during the Dasara vacation by the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission.

“The commission had recently stated that it intends to carry out a fresh survey in October during the Dasara holidays, and had hinted at employing teachers for the exercise. But teachers are also human, and they too need rest,” an official from the School Education Department told DH.

Minister for School Education and Literacy Madhu Bangarappa is reportedly keen on ensuring that teachers are exempted from non-teaching tasks. To that end, he has instructed department officials to write to the Election Commission, urging the poll body not to use the services of teachers during the polls. Interestingly, the EC recently turned down a request from the department seeking exemption of teachers from poll duties.

“The State Election Commission has sought 40,000 teachers for carrying out a revision of the voters’ list, and the Principal Secretary wrote to the EC urging that this order be withdrawn. But our request was turned down, and this has led to a severe shortage of teachers at several schools since training is under way,” the official added.

The Karnataka State Primary School Teachers’ Association has also written to the Chief Election Commissioner to depute Group C employees in the capacity of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) for revision of the electoral rolls.

“In Bengaluru, BLOs are trained between 4pm and 7pm, which is inconvenient to female teachers. Given that 40,000 teachers have been deputed for this task, it has impacted academic activities right at the start of the term,” said the association.