Teachers Worry About Damaged Schools Before Election

Teachers in Tamil Nadu are worried about the condition of schools that are used as polling stations during the upcoming Assembly elections. After the elections are over, many teachers return to find their classrooms in a bad state. Posters of political candidates are often stuck on the walls, litter is scattered across the school grounds, and in some cases, classroom items like blackboards are damaged or broken. Cleaning and repairing all this takes time and effort, making it difficult for teachers to get classrooms ready for students again.

Using schools as polling booths is not new. Since 1951, when India held its first general elections along with State Assembly elections, schools have been commonly used for voting. This is mainly because schools are easily available in most areas and already have the basic facilities needed for setting up polling stations.

However, while this system is convenient for conducting elections, it creates problems for teachers and school staff. After the polling is over, they have to spend extra time cleaning classrooms, removing posters, and fixing any damage before students can return. Many teachers feel that better care should be taken to protect school property during elections, so that learning is not affected.