The Election Commission (EC) on Monday informed the Bombay High Court that the teachers of a private aided school in Kurla will be required to be available for election duty only during the Diwali vacation, November 19 and 20, a day prior to the polls and the election day itself.
A bench of Justice AS Chandurkar and Justice Rajesh Patil was hearing a petition filed by parents of a student of Green Mumbai Primary School, a private-aided Urdu medium school in Kurla, challenging the ECI's decision to deploy teachers for election duty during the upcoming Maharashtra State Assembly Elections.
Parent’s advocate Gayatri Singh submitted that circulars demanding teachers to be working full time for all the working days of the week would affect the functioning of schools, particularly the ongoing exams of various classes.
Last week, the bench had asked EC to look into the issue and respond to the contentions of petitioners on October 21.
On Monday, EC’s advocate Akshay Shinde said that it has modified the earlier order of October 4. He said as per an October 17 communication the teachers will be required to undertake poll duty during Diwali vacation—from October 20 to November 12—and on November 19 and 20, when polls will be held. The court accepted EC’s communication.
When the petitioner’s advocate said that the teachers are busy even during Diwali vacation as they need to check exam papers and fulfill other school duties, the court said EC’s decision to modify the circular was ‘reasonable’ and said the teachers can comply with the same.
“We find that the modified order takes care of the apprehensions expressed by the petitioners who are parents of students studying in the said school,” the bench said while disposing of the petition.
