Maharashtra poll panel ropes in students to augment voter turnout, teachers irked

The commission’s move builds on efforts to rope in school students and teachers to boost voting during the Lok Sabha poll earlier this year

Mumbai: The State Election Commission has adopted an ingenious method to boost voter turnout in the upcoming assembly election scheduled for November 20. It is sending ‘sankalp patras’ (resolution letters) to parents of students enrolled in all government and state-aided schools in Maharashtra, urging them to vote. Both parents need to sign the letter while teachers are supposed to follow up with those who don’t by visiting their homes and taking photos of them holding a placard with a pledge.

The school education department has instructed teachers to visit parents who fail to submit the signed ‘sankalp patra’, request them to sign it, and take a photo of them holding a placard saying they would vote in the assembly poll.

The commission’s move – a part of the Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme – builds on efforts to rope in school students and teachers to boost voting during the Lok Sabha poll earlier this year. School managements were then asked to conduct meetings with parents while teachers were asked to collect parents’ selfies taken after voting.

But teachers’ organisations have opposed the initiative, saying educators are currently occupied with examination-related duties and would not be able to handle the additional burden.

The letters are addressed to parents on behalf of their children.

“I know that you love me very much. You work hard day and night for my bright future. My future is linked to democracy. Therefore, I request you to make a resolution to participate in the upcoming Assembly elections by voting. I am confident that you will definitely fulfill this resolution,” notes the first paragraph.

This is followed by a pledge which both parents need to sign. It reads: “We resolve that as citizens of India, we will preserve the democratic traditions of our country and uphold the sanctity of elections in a free, impartial, and peaceful manner, without fear or influence from religion, caste, community, language, or any inducement. We will vote without fail and encourage all family members, neighbors, and friends to do the same.”

The school education department has sent a copy of the letter to all school managements, who are expected to take print outs for their students and pay for the same from their own funds, said Mahendra Ganpule, a former school principal.

“There are no guidelines provided by the department on how to cover these expenses,” he noted.

All students would need to add their name and signature to the letter, along with their parents’ signatures, and submit it to their teachers. The school education department has also instructed teachers to visit parents who fail to submit the signed letter, request them to sign it, and take a photo of them holding a placard saying they would vote in the assembly poll.

Teachers’ organisations said the move would increase the financial burden on school managements.

“The government has not been providing non-salary grants to schools for the past few years, making it challenging to manage their everyday expenses. How will schools handle this additional expense,” wondered Ganpule.

The tasks outlined for teachers, such as visiting homes of students, would also take up a lot of their time during the examination period, he noted.

For instance, the commission has scheduled a training session for teachers on Tuesday and Wednesday next week. But the dates coincide with a government-mandated baseline examination for classes 3, 5, and 8, which requires teachers to be present at their respective schools.

Teachers’ organisations have asked for the training to be postponed. The Maharashtra State Primary Teachers Committee has also urged the State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT) to postpone a separate training session for newly appointed teachers, scheduled for November 4-10, saying some teachers have already been assigned election duties.