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Over 300 teachers from across Maharashtra protested at Mumbai's Azad Maidan, demanding an end to non-academic duties such as Booth Level Officer assignments & the withdrawal of the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test requirement for in-service teachers. They said administrative work is disrupting classroom teaching & urged the government to prioritise education over bureaucratic tasks.

Mumbai: More than 300 teachers from across Maharashtra gathered at Azad Maidan on Wednesday to protest against what they termed the increasing burden of non-academic responsibilities on teachers and to demand the withdrawal of the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) requirement for in-service teachers.

The protest, organised by the Maharashtra Rajya Shikshak Parishad (Mumbai Division), saw teachers raise concerns over the Election Commission's ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, under which many educators have been assigned Booth Level Officer (BLO) duties.

In a memorandum submitted to School Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse through the Deputy Director of Education, Mumbai Division, the teachers' body argued that continuous non-teaching assignments are affecting classroom instruction and the quality of education. It said teachers' primary responsibility is teaching and that repeated deployment for administrative work has disrupted academic activities.

The organisation also opposed the mandatory TET requirement for teachers already serving in schools, describing it as unnecessary and unfair to experienced educators. It urged the state government to withdraw the condition and exempt teachers from BLO duties so they can focus on teaching.