New Delhi: The matter of mass deployment of teachers from Delhi govt, municipal and govt-aided schools for Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls has reached Delhi High Court through a public interest litigation (PIL), which alleges that the exercise has severely disrupted classroom teaching and violated the fundamental rights of lakhs of students. The matter is likely to be listed Thursday.The petition contends that the large-scale requisitioning of teachers as booth-level officers (BLOs) and enumeration staff has resulted in regular classes being left to guest teachers or educators outside their expertise. According to the PIL, in one instance, a Hindi teacher was compelled to teach mathematics to Class XI students.Citing a TOI report published on July 3, the petition states that the entire regular teaching staff of a govt school in Bhalswa, about 20 teachers serving nearly 1,200 students, was deployed for BLO duties, leaving only 15 guest teachers to manage 22 sections. It also refers to another school near GTB Nagar where 22 teachers were deployed. The PIL further cites Govt School Teachers’ Association as stating that election-related assignments are expected to continue until Oct 7, making the resulting academic loss “impossible to recoup”.The petitioners have argued that the exercise violates articles 14, 21 and 21A of Constitution, provisions of Right to Education Act and Supreme Court’s 2007 ruling holding that teachers should not ordinarily be assigned election-related duties on teaching days and during teaching hours.According to the PIL, filed by advocates Rajesh Gogna and Ashok Agarwal, private unaided schools have not been subjected to similar deployment and the move has effectively halted the education of children from economically weaker sections.The petition also mentions an order issued on July 14 by the electoral registration officer of Ambedkar Nagar, requisitioning 149 teachers from about 15 govt schools as “booth-level volunteers” between July 15 and 29. Teachers have to remain available on all working days and even holidays, and obtain prior approval for any leave. It also warned of penal consequences under Section 32 of Representation of the People Act for negligence, unauthorised absence or refusal to perform election duty.The petition alleges that teachers are being requisitioned directly without consultation with Directorate of Education or heads of schools without any assessment to preserve minimum teaching strength, protect board classes or explore the availability of non-teaching staff.The PIL further argues that authorities have failed to utilise the wider pool of personnel from MCD, other govt departments, universities and public sector institutions, who can legally be requisitioned under Section 159(2) of Representation of the People Act. The PIL claims that representations made by teachers’ bodies and the petitioners seeking rationalisation of the deployment have not received any remedial response.
