CHENNAI: The TN Elementary School Teachers' Federation has appealed to the government to introduce significant changes in the deployment of teachers for the 2027 population census, stating that the current arrangements would adversely affect school education and place an excessive burden on already understaffed government schools.
The federation welcomed the nationwide census exercise as an important public service; nevertheless, it stressed that teachers should not be assigned census work in locations far from their respective schools. Instead, it urged the government to allot census duties only in villages and localities situated close to the schools where teachers are currently working.
The federation also highlighted that government schools across the state are already facing a severe teacher shortage and pointed out that promotions have not been granted for the past three academic years, resulting in over 3,000 schools functioning without school heads.
In addition, thousands of teachers retire every year, while recruitment has failed to keep pace with the vacancies, leaving schools understaffed.
Hence, assigning teachers to census work in distant locations would force them to travel long distances after school hours, making it difficult to prepare for classroom teaching and complete their academic responsibilities. The organisation warned that such additional workload would ultimately affect students, particularly those in government schools, by reducing the quality of classroom instruction and learning outcomes.
The teachers' body also noted that prolonged travel and increased workload could lead to mental and physical stress among teachers, potentially affecting the efficiency and accuracy of census operations. It argued that the census could be conducted more smoothly and without errors if teachers were assigned to nearby areas, enabling them to balance both educational and census responsibilities effectively.
It further stated that teachers have already submitted representations through district authorities, and in some districts, local officials have reportedly recommended appropriate modifications. However, the federation alleged that no statewide policy decision to address these concerns has been taken yet.
The federation has therefore urged the TVK government to immediately review the deployment policy and ensure that teachers engaged in the 2027 Population Census are assigned duties only in areas close to their schools. It maintained that such a move would safeguard students' education while ensuring the successful and efficient completion of one of the country's largest administrative exercises.