COIMBATORE: Teachers of Panchayat Union Primary schools in Coimbatore district have requested authorities to postpone the admission campaign for Class I in government schools till the voting day (April 19) for the Lok Sabha election in the state.
A teacher, D Vijaya (name changed) from a school in Coimbatore, said “Unlike last year, the admission campaign for government schools began in March. In a bid to raise the student strength, teachers along with the volunteers of the Ilam Thedi Kalvi held a campaign among the residents. Thereafter, around 24 children joined Class I in our school in the next academic year.”
“At present, we are engaged in evaluating answer scripts, installing broadband at school and attending the election training classes. We completed the campaign among the residents in March. Meanwhile, officers at the block level are forcing headmasters to conduct the awareness campaign frequently to increase student strength. It affects our routine work,” she alleged.
Another teacher told TNIE, “We have enrolled the maximum number of children at school. Amid this, the frequent drive is unnecessary. Officers should postpone this and it should be started by the end of May.” Around 12,000 children enrolled in Class I in primary and middle schools across the district so far, said sources. An educational officer in the district said they did not force them to engage in awareness campaigns frequently. “We instructed headmasters to monitor the admission process every week,” she said.