Teachers seek exemption from poll duty

Shimla: The Himachal Government Teachers Union (HGTU), which had been blaming “extra burden of non-teaching assignments” for the poor results and flight of students from government to private schools, has sought exemption for teachers from election duties. It has also pointed out that the schools run by single teachers or two teachers should be shut, in case the teachers were deputed on poll duty.  The HGTU urged the Chief Electoral officer (CEO) to depute minimum number of teachers on election duty as teaching-learning process would be seriously affected since schools are already facing a shortage of teachers.  A delegation of HGTU, led by its president Virender Chauhan, called on CEO Divesh Kumar and gave examples of schools where both husband and wife had been sent on election duty. Chauhan asserted that in cases of couples, at least one of the spouse should be relieved from election duty.  The deputation also pointed out that even the Supreme Court had issued guidelines that minimum number of teachers should be involved in election duty. TNS