BENGALURU: After encouraging parents to vote by awarding extra marks to their wards during assembly elections last year, private schools in the state have decided to use the same strategy for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections too. Schools will award one mark extra for each parent’s vote.
Considering that many parents voting as voting day is followed by a series of public holidays and it is also summer vacation for schools, private schools took up this initiative.
Speaking about this initiative, general secretary of Associated Management of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka D Shashi Kumar said, “As every vote is important, each of us should cast our votes. However, as the elections will take place during summer vacation this time, many parents have trips planned. To encourage parents to vote we have announced two marks if both parents vote.”
Meanwhile, the association has informed all the member schools about the same and have asked that parents be informed of the initiative by sending an SMS or when they come to get their kids results. “This is one of the best ways we found to encourage parents to vote. Parents are emotional about their ward’s marks. So we are trying to make use of it,” explained Shashi Kumar.
What do parents have to do?
The parents have to visit the school, where their children are studying, and show the ink mark and register their name for bonus/free marks provided by the school. They can do it on the day of voting or on any other day before the ink mark fades. According to some of the school managements, thousands of parents turned up during the last assembly elections.
A management representative of Blossoms School on Hesaraghatta Road said, “During the last assembly elections, over 1,050 parents came and registered their names by showing the ink mark. We have awarded marks to the children of those parents.” This time, schools expect more parents to benefit from the initiative and they requested parents to educate their children about the importance of voting.