Mangaluru: As schools in Dakshina Kannada district prepare to reopen after the Dasara vacation, concerns are growing that the ongoing socio-economic and educational survey could disrupt academic schedules. The survey, which has been progressing slowly, has so far covered only 2.45 lakh of the targeted 5.86 lakh households as of October 3 (12 p.m.), placing the district at the bottom of the state’s progress list.
Teachers burdened as survey lags behind schedule
Despite initial technical and logistical issues being resolved, the survey gained full momentum only recently. A total of 4,360 enumerators, most of them school teachers, are engaged in data collection across the district. However, with schools scheduled to resume classes on October 7, the delay has triggered widespread concern among the education community.
“We have not even reached 50% of the target. If the survey extends beyond October 7, it will inevitably disrupt classroom activities,” warned one of the survey in-charges.
Enumerators say they are struggling to meet daily quotas due to field-level challenges and confusion about previously surveyed households. “We are given a daily target of 25 homes, but on most days we manage to complete only 15–17. We start at 7 a.m. and sometimes finish as late as 10 p.m.,” said a senior teacher from Bantwal, adding that the workload is taking a toll on teachers’ physical and mental well-being.
Connectivity issues and logistical hurdles
In several remote and tribal regions, especially in Banjarumale and other hilly areas, enumerators are facing severe connectivity issues and accessibility challenges. “Many houses are scattered and difficult to locate. In some regions, mobile networks are poor, making real-time data uploading impossible. We will have to revisit these areas later,” explained another teacher.
The pressure is particularly high because, unlike earlier surveys, all teaching staff, including guest lecturers, have been assigned enumeration duties. In the previous Scheduled Castes (SC) census in coastal districts, only about 50% of teachers were involved, allowing schools to function smoothly even when the survey extended beyond the reopening period.
Academic disruption fears mount
Several school administrators and teacher associations have warned that if the survey continues post-Dasara vacation, regular classes could be severely affected. “This time, there’s no backup teaching staff available to handle lessons. The start of the new term will be impacted if the enumeration continues,” said a senior teacher from Mangaluru taluk.
Parents and school management committees have also voiced concerns, urging the government to either deploy alternative enumerators or suspend survey work for teachers once schools reopen.
District administration acknowledges slow progress
When contacted, Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner Darshan H.V. confirmed that the district remains the slowest in survey progress across the state. “Many enumerators were initially reluctant to participate and had to be warned of disciplinary action before they began fieldwork. The progress has not yet reached 50%,” he said.
He clarified that as per government norms, teachers cannot be compelled to continue survey duties after the school vacation. “How the remaining work will be completed is a decision the state government must now take,” the deputy commissioner added.
Government yet to decide on extension
Officials in the Department of Planning, Programme Monitoring, and Statistics are reportedly considering an extension or redeployment of enumerators from other departments to complete pending work. However, no official directive has been issued yet.
For now, the education sector in Dakshina Kannada is caught in uncertainty — between fulfilling a crucial socio-economic survey and ensuring uninterrupted schooling. The outcome of the government’s decision in the coming days will determine whether students can return to normal classes or face further delays in the academic calendar.