Students suffer for want of teachers
The tall claims of the UT education department to provide quality education in government schools seem to have fallen flat as most of the government schools are facing acute staff shortage and the delay in hiring is affecting the students’ performance.
The tall claims of the UT education department to provide quality education in government schools seem to have fallen flat as most of the government schools are facing acute staff shortage and the delay in hiring is affecting the students’ performance.
Despite sanctioned posts of lecturers, trained graduate teachers (TGTs) and junior basic teachers (JBT) in these schools, large numbers of posts are lying vacant and are affecting the students’ performance.
Moreover, school authorities are struggling hard to complete the syllabus of higher classes as the board examinations are expected to be held in March.
Government schools in periphery are the most affected as posts which are vacant in these schools include maths, science, Hindi, Punjabi and social studies teachers. At Government Senior Secondary School, Behlana, posts of a science and Punjabi teachers are lying vacant.
“Due to shortage of adequate staff, more than 150 students are suffering in our school. In order to make up the loss of education of these students, teachers of other subjects are teaching these students for the time being,” a teacher at Government Senior Secondary School said on condition of anonymity.
Government Model Senior Secondary School (GMSSS), Sector 16, is also facing shortage of maths teacher and nearly 400 students studying in the school are suffering.
“Our school has produced many brilliant students and every year our result is appreciated by the education department. We didn’t get any replacement for the maths teacher who was transferred in the recent past.” a teacher of GMSSS-16 said.
“We have few other vacant posts but we are trying our best to adjust within the available number of teachers,” the teacher said.
Situation is even worse in Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS), Maloya. There is shortage of two social studies, two TGT’s for Hindi, one teacher for department of physical education and one Sanskrit teacher.
“There is a need for more teachers than the assigned posts as per the strength of the school. We have around 500 students in Class 11and 12 and thus we require at least five to six teachers more but unfortunately we don’t have even complete allotted posts filled with us,” said an official at GSSS-Maloya.
Government Teachers’ Union president Vinod Sharma said despite several reminders to the education department in this regard, officials are sitting on hands due to which children are suffering.
“I appreciate the move of the education department that they have promoted JBTs as TGTs on New Year as this will help higher classes in preparing well for exams. There are posts of headmasters, principals and lecturers lying vacant in schools, which should be filled soon,” said Sharma.
Despite repeated attempts, district education officer Ram Kumar did not respond to calls.