Bandipora, March 7: The Jammu & Kashmir Teachers Forum (JKTF), Bandipora, has raised concerns over the deployment of teachers as Booth Level Officers (BLOs), citing its adverse impact on the functioning of schools in the district.
According to JKTF Chief Spokesperson Anjum Nisar, dozens of teachers across Bandipora are currently engaged in BLO duties, leaving schools understaffed and disrupting academic activities. “Schools with only two teachers are facing severe challenges, as one is often occupied with election-related tasks, placing an excessive burden on the remaining teacher”.
He further pointed out that the transfer of teachers to schools facing an acute shortage of staff has also been hampered due to their BLO assignments, creating an administrative deadlock and preventing an equitable distribution of teachers where they are most needed.
Anjum Nisar said the forum has urged the Election Commission of Jammu & Kashmir and the District Election Officer to immediately replace teachers serving as BLOs with non-teaching personnel or other suitable alternatives. He stressed that a teacher’s primary responsibility is education, and their prolonged engagement in non-teaching assignments is detrimental to students’ learning outcomes.
He called for urgent action to relieve teachers from these duties to ensure that schools function smoothly and students’ education remains uninterrupted.
