Members of the Tamil Nadu Post Graduate Teachers’ Association have appealed to the Tamil Nadu Chief Election Officer to ensure that teachers who are on poll duty are allotted training centres in their own districts.
“Many teachers, especially those from Chengalpattu and Tiruvallur, have been allotted centres in Chennai to attend training sessions ahead of the polls. Some of these teachers will have to travel for several hours to attend these programmes,” said S. Prabhakaran, State secretary of the association.
In their statement, the association also said that the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) exams have been scheduled on February 9, coinciding with the second phase of training for teachers. “Either teachers who are taking the exams should be given an exemption from attending the training, or the training sessions can be rescheduled to a later date,” the statement said.
They have asked for adequate protection, food and transport facilities for those involved in polling duty, especially to women teachers on the day of the polls.