With the Lok Sabha election looming large, schools across Tamil Nadu are voicing concerns over the recurrent challenges they faced during the election period: walls defaced by posters, damaged infrastructure, and disrupted academic activities.
Government and corporation school headmasters have highlighted the pervasive problem of election posters plastered across the school premises, with adhesive materials such as all-purpose flour, which tug at paint when posters are removed after the election. Many of these schools, meticulously beautified by non-government organisations (NGOs) and student volunteers with vibrant hues to cultivate conducive learning environments, find their efforts undone with each electoral cycle.
M. Krishnaveni, headmistress of a Corporation school in Chennai, says whenever an election is held, all their efforts go in vain. “The school begins to look shabby and this discourages volunteers from beautifying schools. Sponsors, too, hesitate to donate funds,” she says. The recurring elections only amplifies the challenge.
In response to mounting concerns, Secretary of the School Education Department, J. Kumaragurubaran, citing the challenges posed by the proximity of elections, says, “Finding alternatives might be difficult; however, we will look into seeking funds from the election commission to be utilised towards the maintenance of these schools post-polling. An alternate adhesive arrangement can also be considered.”
Stakeholders have also raised alarm over more substantial damage done during the election process. There were instances of election officials having requisitioned the entire school premises, including kitchens, headmasters’ offices, and staff rooms, for polling. In an extreme case, CFS Mogappair Corporation Primary School in Chennai underwent structural alterations without notification: two of the five classrooms were combined for ease of polling during the 2021 Assembly election.
In Coimbatore, concerns have been voiced over the destruction of smart boards, laboratory equipment, and other essential items, owing to inadequate storage arrangements during the election.
S. Chandrasekhar, head of Palli Kalvi Pathukappu Iyakkam and a school monitoring committee (SMC) member, laments, “We have lost several equipment in the past owing to the lack of manpower or alternative storage space provided during elections. Officials inspect the premises and instruct schools to clear out everything without the provision of aid or space to keep everything.”
The plight extends to basic amenities, as witnessed in a government school at Tiruvarur, where perishable items were left exposed to the elements, leading to spoilage in 2021. Bhuvaneshwari, a government school teacher, underscored the challenges faced even at smaller schools. “Even a small kitchen is not spared. From the stove to all perishable items, we are made to leave everything outside.”
Coimbatore Returning Officer and Collector Kranthi Kumar Pati says, “We will look at alternatives to minimise inconvenience and explore avenues for the restoration of unavoidable damage.”
