Mumbai teachers protest at Azad Maidan over election duties and postponed TET
Thousands of school teachers and members of various teacher organizations from across Mumbai gathered at Azad Maidan on Thursday morning to stage a protest against additional election-related duties. The educators chose to stay away from their respective schools to participate in the demonstration, raising concerns over how these non-teaching assignments are currently impacting the quality of education in classrooms.
The primary grievance of the protesting teachers centers on the additional responsibilities assigned to them under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. In addition to these revision duties, educators are also being required to serve as Booth Level Officers (BLOs).
According to participating teacher organizations, this growing administrative workload has created an unsustainable environment for educators. The demands of these election-related tasks are forcing teachers to leave their schools early on a regular basis. This early departure directly reduces overall classroom hours, making it increasingly difficult to complete the standard academic curriculum.
The reduction in teaching hours has had a direct negative impact on school students. Teacher organizations emphasized that students in primary classes are suffering the most from these disruptions, as they require consistent, daily classroom guidance and the presence of their teachers.
In addition to demanding relief from the Special Intensive Revision duties and Booth Level Officer roles, the protesters at Azad Maidan also raised issues regarding the Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET). They demanded relief for candidates who have been severely affected by the postponement of this exam.
The Teachers’ Eligibility Test was postponed last month following a question paper leak. The protesting teachers and organizations urged authorities to address the fallout of the leak and provide immediate relief to the affected candidates, alongside resolving the ongoing issue of excessive election duties.
