In a recent announcement, primary and high school teachers assigned as enumerators for the Houselisting and Housing Census, scheduled from July 1 to 30, may receive compensatory leave for conducting house visits on holidays. Orders regarding this matter are anticipated to be issued soon.

Teachers’ unions are advocating for official duty leave for house visits during school hours, emphasizing the need to prevent disruptions in academic activities. They suggest that daily wage teachers could be recruited temporarily to cover for those absent due to Census duties, allowing regular teachers to fulfill their responsibilities without compromising student education.

The unions argue that it is unrealistic for teachers—many of whom are women—to carry out house visits either before or after school, citing numerous responsibilities and safety concerns. They note that the Census includes 34 questions, requiring at least 30 minutes for each house visit, raising concerns about the feasibility of visiting multiple homes after teaching.

As a result, teachers may find themselves needing to take leave during the workweek to fulfill their enumerator duties. This situation is likely to negatively affect academic schedules if daily wage teachers are not recruited to step in during their absence.

It has been brought to attention that a significant number of teachers have been assigned as enumerators in certain schools, which could result in substantial operational challenges. For example, in the Thiruvananthapuram district, out of 16 teachers at GLPS Anad, only one remains, while a majority of the staff at various local schools, including GUPS, Vithura and GHSS, Manacaud, is engaged in Census responsibilities.

Teachers who previously worked as enumerators have shared that there is a practical limit to how much time they can devote to house visits during holidays, suggesting this approach is not entirely feasible.

On the other hand, department officials have indicated that teachers can conduct these house visits until 11 a.m. and resume after 3 p.m.. Moreover, non-teaching staff and personnel from other government departments will also participate in similar Census duties.

In addition to the upcoming announcements regarding compensatory leave, a decision concerning intra-district transfers for primary and high school teachers is expected by Monday, further affecting the educational landscape.