Schools and staff celebrate reprieve

Updated on: Thursday, January 27, 2011

Teachers and school principals are jubilant after the Bombay High Court forced the state to rethink its strategy on involving teachers of private unaided schools in census duty. Teachers who received letters from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) insisting that they be a part of the mammoth task in February were worried about how they would fit in their new duties with school work such as completing vast portions and paper correction.

"Most of the teachers were picked from schools in those areas where the authorities needed maximum manpower", said Fr Francis Swamy, principal of Holy Family School, Andheri (E). A member of the state board, Fr Swamy had met a number of principals who were complaining about their teachers being roped into census duty. "The principal was unhappy because all the teachers were called upon for census duty and she was receiving complaints from parents. One cannot ignore teaching for census duty", he said.

Many teachers had also approached different forums for help in this matter. Arundhati Chavan, president of PTA United Forum said,"A number of BMC and zilla parishad schools were planning to remain shut for 20 days during census duty because the state called on all their teachers. This would have been criminal." She said that some zilla parishad schools were expecting their teachers to teach in the mornings and then tackle their census duty. Many of these teachers were also asked to hold exams based on the portions that had managed to cover. In other words, teachers were being asked to deprive students of education they are entitled to.

Last year, during census duty, the government had made it clear to teachers that failure to report would jeopardise their employment in schools. "There is no harm in asking teachers to be a part of census duty, but they cant force us or drag us into this work, especially as we are not even being paid for it", said one of the teachers who had complained about the BMC letter to the education department.

Saba Patel, principal of Anjuman-E-Islam Girls High School, Bandra said, "For teachers, completing the syllabus is the most important task. The HC has brought relief to the teachers who were not only asked to give up their professional duties, but also the duties to their families."

Schools and staff celebrate reprieve

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