The extension of Special Summary Revision (SIR) duties for Booth Level Officers (BLOs) by the Election Commission has plunged numerous schools in Kolkata into a fresh crisis. With the majority of BLOs being schoolteachers, the seven-day extension has directly delayed their return to academic duties, creating a severe staff shortage during the critical third summative examination period.
Exam Season Thrown into Disarray
The third summative examinations for secondary and junior classes in multiple state-run schools commenced on Monday. School heads across the city had been hopeful that the assigned teachers would return after December 4. However, the latest announcement from the Election Commission has dashed those hopes, forcing institutions to conduct high-stakes exams under what they term "extreme staff shortage."
Out of 80,681 booth level officers deployed for ground-level duties, a significant portion are schoolteachers. This mass deputation has left schools scrambling to manage basic exam hall logistics, including invigilation and subsequent paper evaluation.
On the Ground: Schools Voice Their Struggle
The impact is being felt acutely on the ground. At Taltala High School, teacher-in-charge Susmita Modal, who is herself a BLO, outlined the dire situation. "We are only four permanent teachers in the school, and all of us have been assigned BLO duties," she said. The staff has been forced into a grueling routine, attending to exam duties during school hours and then fulfilling their BLO responsibilities afterward.
The scenario is equally challenging at Lee Memorial High School, where nine out of ten assistant teachers are on BLO duty. Headmistress Swapura Mondal Gomes has made written appeals to the school education department and the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO). "How can we carry on with annual exams where regular class invigilation and paper checking are involved?" she questioned, requesting the release of some teachers on a seniority basis.
Invigilation and Evaluation Crisis Deepens
The immediate fallout is a crisis in exam supervision. Schools have been compelled to reduce the number of invigilators in large halls from the required two to just one. At Narayan Das Bangur Memorial Multipurpose High School, four of its 26 teachers are on BLO duty, prompting this exact measure. Headmaster Sanjay Barua expressed his disappointment, stating he expected the teachers back by December 4. "At this stage, the entire exam will have to be managed in the absence of these four teachers," he said.
Looking ahead, school heads identify paper evaluation as the next major hurdle. Tabulation and result preparation are expected to be severely hampered if teachers do not return promptly. Schools are mandated to publish results before Christmas, with the new academic session set to begin on January 2. The delay threatens this entire timeline.
Partha Pratim Baidya, headmaster of Jadavpur Vidyath, where eight teachers are on BLO duty, highlighted a specific concern regarding evaluation. While the workload has been distributed, he pointed out a fundamental issue: "Maths answer sheets can't be checked by a Bengali teacher." This underscores the subject-specific expertise required for fair assessment, which the current shortage cannot provide.
A System Under Strain
The collective testimony from school administrators paints a picture of an education system buckling under external pressure. The overlap of electoral revision work with the peak examination season has created an unsustainable conflict. While the democratic process is paramount, the academic calendar and the crucial year-end assessments for thousands of students are being compromised. Schools now have no choice but to navigate this difficult period, hoping for a swift return of their staff to avert a complete disruption in the academic cycle.
