By The Hindu Bureau

Copyright thehindu

Under pressure from teachers, who expressed dissatisfaction at being asked to teach and also conduct the Social and Educational Survey in Karnataka from Wednesday, the State government on Tuesday extended the Dasara holidays for government and aided schools till October 18 to enable completion of the survey.

While the survey being conducted by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes was to end on Tuesday, government and aided schools were set to reopen after Dasara holidays on Wednesday. The extension of the Dasara holidays would mean a loss of eight working days, which the government has said would be covered with special classes after schools reopen.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said that the Department of School Education and Literacy and the commission have come to an understanding about the survey work. “Survey work has not been completed in all districts. If the survey has reached 97% of the targeted households in Koppal, it is about 67% in Dakshina Kannada. Based on a petition from a teachers’ association that sought another 10 days to complete the survey, we have decided to extend the survey work till October 18,” the Chief Minister told presspersons here, after he and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar met representatives of teachers and Congress MLC Puttanna. He also threatened action against teachers who do not participate in the survey work.

As per an earlier order by the Commissioner of Public Instruction Suralkar Vikas Kishor on Monday, the school timings had been revised to keep them open from 8 a.m. till 1 p.m., and teachers had been asked to conduct the survey in the afternoon.

The order had extended survey work across the State till October 12 and in Greater Bengaluru Authority region till October 24. Teachers had expressed opposition to the arrangement and had sought extension of the holidays till the survey work is completed. The Karnataka State Primary School Teachers’ Association in its petition requested the government to extend the Dasara holidays by 10 days within which its members who are primary and high school teachers are committed to complete the survey work.

Mr. Siddaramaiah also said that the government has decided to exempt pre-university college lecturers from the survey since the mid-term examination are commencing on October 12.

In all, he said 1.6 lakh enumerators, including 1.2 lakh teachers, are part of the survey. In Bengaluru, about 6,700 teachers have been given responsibility to conduct survey of about 10 to 15 households, and teachers have agreed to complete the survey work before Naraka Chaturdashi (October 20), the Chief Minister said.

Mr. Shivakumar said that 90% of people in rural areas have cooperated, while in Greater Bengaluru Authority region the survey is 25% of the targeted households since the work started later.

The government also announced a compensation of ₹20 lakh each to the families of three teachers who have died while undertaking survey work.