The writing is on the wall for city schools after election day

Chennai: Mounds of paper waste, leftover food packs, campaign posters plastered across walls were common scenes across the govt schools in the city and suburbs that served as polling stations. While politicians unwind and election officials take a breather, the burden of restoring order falls squarely on school staff, who are left to handle the entire clean-up.This time, the number of polling stations varied between 250 to 350 in each zone -- of which 95% were schools. On polling day, in many of these centres, posters of candidates were pasted on freshly painted walls, election workers threw food packets carelessly on the campus and toilets are left stinking. At the Govt Model Higher Secondary School in Nandanam, where three classrooms were used as booths, school head K Anjugam said corporation workers employed on contract cleaned the premises. However, TOI found that the school walls were still defaced with posters and food packets were lying inside classrooms.Several school heads said while other waste items could be cleaned and removed, removing the posters from walls was the biggest challenge. "The gum used is very strong and 3-4 layers of sheets are pasted at once. It rips off the paint on walls when teachers try to remove them, causing wall canvas to be defaced. Whitewashing the walls or repainting them costs at least 5,000," said M M Rajalakshmi, a retired school head.Even private schools are not spared. "Every year, it is the same story. At least 10 officials, including agents, are posted at each polling station. There is not one officer in charge of sanitation. Food packets are strewn around, bathrooms are dirtied, and bench/desks are rearranged haphazardly," said K Nandakumar, president, TN Private Schools Association. A section of school heads, however, also dismissed the issue, stating that it was a part and parcel of the electoral process. "Teachers who go on poll duty will be more inclined towards reaching home after the process," said David Mano, headmaster, Govt Model Higher Secondary School, Saidapet.Chennai chief education officer M Kabir did not respond to calls from TOI.
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