Census saps teachers of energy

With the exams approaching  and the census work consuming more time, it has been a tough month for many private school teachers.

As they went door-to-door for enumeration, skipping lunch and tea, locked-up houses and reluctant residents only make their task hard.

“Before leaving for census work in the afternoon, I’ve to complete all school-related work. When we visit houses in the afternoon, we find many of them locked. So we’ve to go back after 7.30pm. What about our family responsibilities?” asked a teacher on conditions of anonymity. She has been working for more than 12 hours a day, including the weekends. 

“There is a strong migrant population in the area I am covering. Even if one person happens to be at home, he or she may not be aware of the partner’s details. So we’ve to visit their homes again,” she said, adding that travel expenditure is not reimbursed and has to be borne by the enumerator.

“Why is it that senior teachers, above 45 are made to do this work, especially when there is no medical reimbursement or travel reimbursement?” she asked.

However, government school teachers involved with census do not have additional school work.

“Many residents are reluctant to share information, especially on their religion and occupation. Some ask us why they have to give us the data again when they’ve already given it in April-May. Some people repeatedly ask us to come back the next day,” said  N Subramanyam, census supervisor of a circle in Vasanth Nagar ward and senior teacher at St Mary’s Girls High School on Millers Road.

“To accommodate the census work, I reschedule classes and manage my time so I do justice to both. Even though working 12 hours a day is quite taxing, I make sure my school work is not compromised,” he said.

Some enumerators are taking short-cuts. Some leave the application forms with the residents and collect the duly filled forms later. Others note the cell numbers of people and get information later over the phone. Nearly 98% of the census work has been completed. From March 1 to March 5, the enumerators will begin the revisional rounds to re-check facts and figures.

Throughout the state, 1,04,000  enumerators have been deployed for census work along with 17,000 supervisors.

“The bulk of them are primary school teachers. It is a national task, and it has to be done. Though there may be some problems, since it is the exam season, it has to be managed. It happens once in ten years after all,” said TK Anil Kumar, state director of census operations.