Over 50% primary schoolteachers on poll roll duty, studies of students affected

Bijendra Ahlawat

Faridabad, September 10

With more than 50 per cent of the teaching staff of Government Primary school assigned the duty of Booth-Level Officer (BLO) by the Election Department, teaching in many schools has been affected adversely, say sources in the Education Department.

“Around 850 out of the total 1,600 JBT teachers of the primary schools in the district have been given the work of BLO in their respective areas or wards to complete the work related to updating of the voters list,” said the sources in the Education Department.

“Teachers have been directed to do the BLO duty for at least two weeks in a month and this has affected the teaching work at the primary level, which is considered important for building the foundation of students enrolled in Classes I to V,” it is claimed. “With an average of 50 to 60 per cent teachers assigned this work, there are many schools where the entire staff is engaged in non-teaching work,” said a teacher. Citing the example of Government Model Sanskriti School in Sector 18, he said all eight teachers of the school had been assigned the BLO duty. Studies in around 78 of the total 88 schools located in the city have been affected, said the sources. Those affected include Government Primary Schools of Old Faridabad, Etmadpur, Daulatabad, Tilpat, Unchagaon, Fatehpur Chandila, Santosh Nagar, Sector 28, Mujesar, Sector 8, Budena, Subzi Mandi Ballabgarh, Chawla Colony, Sector 7 and Sehatpur village, all falling in the jurisdiction of the Municipal Corporation. Munesh Chaudhary, District Education Officer, said the BLO duty to JBT teachers has been assigned as per the directions from the Education Department. Such teachers have been asked to do this work after school. Additional remuneration is given to the teachers assigned the BLO duty.