MUMBAI, Dec. 25 -- "The job of teachers is to teach in the classroom," state education minister Dada Bhuse has reminded chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. In a strident letter urging Fadnavis to exempt teachers from Booth Level Officer (BLO) and other election-related duties, in view of the upcoming civic polls, Bhuse said, "Election duties consume the teachers' time and cause educational loss to students." The minister pointed out that competent staff is available in other government departments for election-related work. "They should be used as an alternative. Therefore, it is my insistent position that teachers should be completely freed from BLO duties and allowed to teach." To bolster his argument, Bhuse cited the Right to Education Act, stating that it defines teaching as the primary responsibility of teachers. Prolonged absence from classrooms due to election duties goes against the spirit of the law, he states. Students suffer most when teachers are repeatedly diverted to non-academic assignments, he wrote. Bhuse argued that leaving classrooms understaffed for long stretches, forces teachers to race to complete the syllabus....