COIMBATORE: With government schools set to turn polling booths, teachers in Coimbatore are worried the colourful walls will be ruined by Election Commission posters. These posters bearing candidates’ names, photos and party symbols will undo the hard work done to spruce up the walls, they fear. “We initially spent our own money to buy paint and brushes to make the walls attractive.
The paintings are on various themes, including environment protection, healthy habits, and cartoons,” says S Santhosh Kumar, coordinator of Pattampoochikal, an organisation teachers in Tirupur formed to beautify school walls. Since 2016, the organisation has given a fresh look to the walls of nearly 70 schools in rural areas, Kumar points out. “As per EC norms, posters will be pasted on the walls of classrooms.
When we take them down after the polls, the paint will also come off, making the walls look ugly. Headmasters would have to spend nearly Rs 45,000 to buy paint and brushes again for each school.” He does have a solution though: “Instead of pasting posters, EC workers should erect a banner in front of the school, mentioning all the necessary information.” Education officers in Coimbatore, too, say posters shouldn’t be pasted on school walls.
“We spent two months painting 295 schools in Coimbatore. It would be such a waste of our effort and money if they paste posters. The EC should come up with an alternative plan,” said a Samagra Shiksha official on condition of anonymity.