DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand's upcoming Panchayat elections have cast a shadow over the state's primary education system, with teachers from over 80 schools pulled out for election duty.
According to sources in the education department, this mass deployment of teachers not just threatens to halt academic activities, but also raises serious concerns about the safety and well-being of young children especially with the monsoon season just around the corner.
According to some teachers who spoke to TNIE on condition of anonymity, "This move has left teachers deeply concerned about the management and safety of students, with many questioning who will oversee school operations."
Teachers are also obligated to attend mandatory pre-election rehearsals, which further exacerbates the issue.
Dharmendra Singh Rawat, President of the District Primary Teachers' Association, has penned a letter to the Uttarakhand Women's Commission Chairperson, appealing for critical exemptions. He urged that single women teachers, single parent teachers, disabled educators, and one spouse from teaching couples be relieved from poll duties.
The Rajkiya Prathmik Shikshak Sangh also raised the matter with Primary Education Director Prem Lal Bharti, citing cases like Usha Bora and Meenakshi from Rajkiya Prathmik Vidyalaya Doiwala, who are disabled but still assigned duty.
The impact of mass deployment of teachers in election duty on specific schools is severe. Rajkiya Prathmik Vidyalaya Panditwari, with 101 students, will see all five of its teachers on election duty. Similarly, Rajkiya Prathmik Vidyalaya Raiwala and Deu Primary in Kalsi, each with only two teachers, will be left entirely unattended. In Vikasnagar, all four teachers at Pathrauli Primary (120 students) have received duty letters, while Shahpur Kalyanpur Primary’s 92 students will be without their three teachers. Even single-teacher schools like Rudrapur Primary (Vikasnagar) and Gauhri Maafi (Doiwala) are affected, effectively leaving children unsupervised.
"We have informed the Uttarakhand Women's Commission that seriously ill teachers and those from single-teacher schools should also be exempted," Rawat told TNIE. He added, "With the monsoon season approaching, who will ensur the safety of these young children, manage mid-day meals, and maintain academic continuity? Departmental officials must raise this critical issue with election authorities."