Several educational institutions in Kolkata and its surrounding areas are experiencing delays in announcing their annual examination results. The primary reason for this hold-up is the diversion of teaching staff to election-related responsibilities, specifically as Booth Level Officers (BLOs) for the Summary Revision of the electoral roll (SIR).
Teachers Stretched Thin Between Classrooms and Field Visits
The situation has placed a significant burden on school faculty. At Taltala Girls' High School, permanent teachers, including the teacher-in-charge, were assigned BLO duties. These educators have been forced to multitask, checking student answer sheets in between their mandatory field visits for the electoral roll revision.
Due to this immense pressure, the school has postponed its result declaration to December 22, a delay of two days. "It was a bit hectic, but we managed," stated teacher-in-charge Susmita Mondal, highlighting the challenging balancing act.
Widespread Impact Across Multiple Institutions
The issue is not isolated. Krishnachandrapur High School headmaster Chandan Maiti reported that nine teachers from his institution are on BLO duty, with an additional eight from the 2016 panel also engaged. With over 5,000 students awaiting their results, the uncertainty is palpable.
"We don't know when our results will be declared as several subject teachers are busy with field duties," Maiti explained, underscoring the logistical challenge. Similarly, Sanjay Barua, headmaster of Narayanadas Bangur Multipurpose School, confirmed facing comparable issues for several days. His school has adopted a staggered approach, deciding to "publish the results in a phased manner from Monday."
Concerns Loom Over the Upcoming Academic Session
The timing of these duties raises further concerns for the academic calendar. While state schools are scheduled to commence the new session on January 2, the Election Commission has mandated BLOs to continue working until February, until the final electoral roll is published.
This overlap poses a serious administrative dilemma. Swagata Basak, headmistress of Taki House Govt Sponsored School, revealed that while duties have been redistributed among available staff, anxiety about the new session persists. "We have divided school duties among teachers to deal with this challenge, but we are concerned about running the school in the new session if our teachers do not return on time," she said.
The confluence of academic deadlines and critical democratic processes has thus created an unprecedented situation for Kolkata's schools, forcing educators to serve dual roles and potentially disrupting the academic schedule for thousands of students.
