KARUR: While everyone is busy with local body elections in the State, Thottiyapatti Panchayat Union Primary School at K Paramathi in Karur conducted its own polling for students and parents to give them an idea of democracy in action.
The headmaster and teachers made sure students got a life-like experience on polling and the election process. They went through all the stages of the election process starting from nomination, scrutiny, withdrawal, rejection, campaigning and voting at the polling station after getting their index fingers inked.
Sixty-nine students from Classes 1 to 5 cast their votes on four ballot slips of different colours. The election was held for posts of chief secretary, deputy secretary, school club activity committee director, campus students discipline committee director, prayer and cultural committee director, students assembly committee director, health and sanitary management committee director, classroom and social management committee director and sports and green committee director. A total of 23 students contested as candidates for the posts.
"This school local body polls would not only enlighten students about elections but make them insist their parents vote on polling day which would result in 100 per cent voter turnout," said headmaster K Moorthi.
He added, "As Monday was the last working day of the school for this year, we conducted the elections on that day. The election created awareness among students as well as their parents in the upcoming elections.
Like real elections, we carried out all the processes starting from nominations in the first week of this month. We used the candidates' names on ballot papers for voting instead of symbols. As many people were illiterate in the past, symbols were used to vote in our country.
But as things have changed, we wanted to train students to look at a candidate's profile and vote for them and not just the symbols they represent.
Our school local body election results would be announced on January 3, the day the school reopens after local body elections are announced." DSP Subramani (AGLC) and Paramathi Police Inspector Rama Devi were invited as the election's returning officer and observer, respectively.