COIMBATORE: Postgraduate and physical education teachers have urged the Coimbatore district administration to exempt them from duties related to the national population census, warning that the assignment could disrupt classroom teaching, Class XII exam preparation and the conduct of school-level sports activities.M Muhammad Kaja Mukaitheen, district president of the Tamil Nadu Postgraduate Teachers Association, said details of PG teachers working in govt higher secondary schools in Coimbatore were being sought for the census exercise and, in some unions, postgraduate teachers had been appointed as enumerators. He said the first round of census work, started in August, would coincide with the period when teachers are required to complete the Class XII syllabus within the first five months of the academic year. He added that the second round, expected in January and February, would overlap with practical examinations and theoretical public exams, affecting teaching, practical exam conduct and higher education guidance for students.He said more than 170 govt higher secondary schools in the district had only one sanctioned teacher post per subject, making replacement arrangements difficult. He said postgraduate teachers had been assigned supervisory roles during the last census. The association sought deployment decisions based on student welfare and service seniority and asked the district administration to issue clear guidelines and directions, citing that similar requests had been accepted in other districts.Representatives of physical education teachers said the new academic year required conducting six types of fitness tests for students from classes VI to VIII and uploading the details on the EMIS portal. They said a series of competitions, including zonal events, the CM Trophy and inter-zonal meets, were scheduled, requiring selection and coaching of students for district and state-level contests. With physical education teachers being instructed to take up census duties, they said training schedules and sports programmes would be affected. They sought exemption in the interest of students.Teachers said govt school heads and general teachers assigned to SIR-related duties had been unable to attend schools, disrupting students’ education. They urged authorities to ensure such assignments do not affect the overall improvement of govt schools in academics and sports.
