High school teachers and PU lecturers say their academic calendar clashes with census work

As the Census 2027 has begun across the State, government school teachers and pre-university college lecturers who have been deputed as enumerators for the census, are under pressure as the former are assigned to the evaluation of SSLC answer sheets and latter to take online special classes for CET, NEET and other entrance exams.

It is difficult to evaluate answer sheets, work as enumerators and conduct online special classes simultaneously, teachers and lecturers have argued, and urged the government to immediately release them from census work.

Training for enumerators for census is being carried out in three phases- the first phase completed in all districts from April 1 to 3, and the second phase will be held from April 4 to 6, with the third phase between April 7 and 9. Following this, enumerators need to visit households between April 16 and May 16.

This schedule of the census in the State is directly clashing with the responsibilities of thousands of high school teachers and PU lecturers roped in as enumerators for the census.

Evaluation work 

The SSLC examination was completed on April 2, 2026 and the Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB) has announced that the results would be declared on April 24. Evaluation will begin from April 8, for which about 70,000 high school teachers have registered.

Meanwhile, annual examinations for classes 8 and 9, along with other classes, were completed on April 4, 2026. The School Education Department has made preparations to declare the results on April 10 and to give summer vacation. Teachers are engaged in evaluation of these papers as well.

Special classes

The School Education Department (Pre-University) has been conducting online live classes every day for 25,000 selected students of the II PUC Science stream of government pre-university colleges to prepare them for the CET/NEET/JEE entrance exams.

These classes were suspended due to exams recently and have restarted from April 1 and will go on till April 20, for four hours daily. All science lecturers have to participate mandatorily, the department has mandated.

Moreover, II PUC results will be declared on April 7, and lecturers are to take special classes for those students who fail to clear the exam to prepare them for annual exam-2, scheduled between April 25 and May 8. The CET exams are scheduled to be held on April 23 and 24, NEET on May 3, for all of which PU lecturers will be roped in.

Demand for exemption 

“As soon as we finished the SSLC exam, the government assigned us for training for the census. In the meantime, we have also been assigned evaluation work. Even if we are absent from any of these tasks, the government has the power to file a criminal case against us. In such a situation, how can we work?” questioned a high school teacher.

Taking this into consideration, all high school teachers have been exempted from census work in Vijayapura District by the Deputy Commissioner. The teachers’ associations now demand the same model be adopted across the State and both high school teachers and PU lecturers be exempted from census work.

Ningegowda A.H., president of the Karnataka State Pre-University College Lecturers’ Association, said teachers and lecturers were being burdened with census, Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls amid an exam and results season, in the scorching summer heat.

He said the association had already petitioned the Principal Secretary of School Education to exempt teachers and lecturers from census work, which could hinder them from performing their academic activities.