BLO Duty: Burden of BLO Duty Amid Teacher Shortage! Head Teachers Approach Chief Electoral Officer for Exemption

BLO Duty: Amidst a severe shortage of teachers in the primary schools of West Bengal, the additional responsibility of Booth Level Officer (BLO) has been imposed on Head Teachers, a situation described as “adding insult to injury.” This dual burden is causing a near collapse of academic activities, mid-day meal (MDM) management, and other administrative tasks in schools. To address this critical issue and protect the educational rights of millions of students, the “United Head Teachers of West Bengal Primary Schools” organization has submitted a memorandum to the state’s Chief Electoral Officer.

Why is this Exemption Being Demanded?

In a memorandum submitted on October 30, 2025, the teachers’ organization has painted a grim picture of the state’s primary education system. According to the organization, most schools, especially in rural and semi-urban areas, are functioning with far fewer teachers than the sanctioned strength. There are numerous schools where the Head Teacher is the sole educator, single-handedly managing both academic and administrative responsibilities for students.

Citing statistics, the organization highlighted that as per the latest UDISE+ data, over 45% of primary schools in the state have a Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) exceeding 30:1, indicating the alarming state of the education system.

Academic Activities Disrupted by Workload

Head Teachers complain that they are already swamped with a host of administrative duties. These include:

• Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE)
• Handling various scholarship-related tasks
• Managing and reporting on the Mid-Day Meal (MDM) scheme
• Maintenance of school infrastructure
• DISE reporting, etc.

On top of this, additional BLO responsibilities such as voter list verification, door-to-door surveys, and the distribution and collection of E.F forms have been added. This forces Head Teachers to be absent from school for 15-20 days a month. Consequently, schools are either forced to shut down completely, or students are left unattended in classrooms, which is a direct violation of their right to education.

What are the Core Demands of the Organization?

The memorandum, submitted by the organization’s President Bablu Sarkar, Vice-President Purna Chandra Giri, and Secretary Bikash Chandra Mondal, puts forward two main demands:

1. Head Teachers of all schools where the sanctioned teacher posts are 3 or less (or where the Head Teacher is the only one in charge) must be completely exempted from BLO duties.
2. An immediate general circular must be issued to all District Magistrates (DM) and DEOs in the state to implement this exemption.

The organization’s leaders are hopeful that the Chief Electoral Officer will consider these demands in the interest of education and young learners.