Lens on staff shortage in UT government schools

The Joint Action Committee of Teachers of Chandigarh Tuesday submitted a memorandum to the District Education Officer (DEO) Prabhjot Kaur about the shortage of teachers in government schools, especially those in rural areas, among other issues. The committee mentioned that a large number of posts have not been filled for years.

In the government model senior secondary school in Kaimbwala, five teaching posts are vacant for classes 11 and 12 and three posts in the nursery wings this year. The same positions are vacant in the government school in Khuda Ali Sher.

Both schools have a total strength of 1,600 students, where over 300 students are in grades 11 and 12. Both schools need urgent recruitment of staff in various subjects, including physical education, political science, English and history, as most of the teachers currently taking classes of senior classes are trained graduate teachers (TGT).

Ramandeep Kaur, a class 10 student of Kaimbwala school, said, “Temporary teachers are assigned for the various subjects which creates havoc. I face difficulties in English and maths subjects. Doubts are not cleared properly so I use YouTube medium to clarify the topics”.

Sohan Lal, the school’s Hindi teacher said, “As there is a shortage of teachers, we have to set substitutes which can be difficult to manage.”

“Every month, the vacancy list is sent to the DEO and in response, they say the recruitment process is ongoing,” he added.

Kaimbwala school’s class 12 students have struggled with the subject political science the most as the institution has no teacher and has been relying on a substitute teacher. Students have complained the teacher gives lectures in Hindi which makes it difficult for them to write in exams.

“The substitute teacher teaches as well as gives notes in Hindi, which makes it difficult to understand as well as to write in exams…most of the students attempt exams in English language,” a student said. Shiv Murat, a senior teacher of the government model senior school, Khuda Ali Sher, has sent several requests to the education department to recruit teachers. “Many times the issue has been discussed, applications are sent every month but there is no response,” he said.

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DEO Kaur said: “The recruitment of teachers is a continuous process. Every year the strength increases, and many teachers get transferred. That is why the school is facing the issue. Whenever I get the queries, I send the proposal to Harsuhinder Pal Singh Brar, DPI, Education Department UT”. The school in Kaimbwala was built in 1962 and in 2008, it was upgraded to a senior secondary school. The school offers a humanities stream for higher classes and classes for English, Hindi, political science, physical education, and history.

The school in Khuda Ali Sher offers six subjects including history, political science, physical education, English, Hindi, Punjabi and two vocational courses.