In order to deploy teachers in the schools located in inaccessible areas of the State, the State Education department had drafted Uttarakhand Teacher Transfer Policy 2013 and under this policy, teachers of various Government primary schools, junior high schools, high schools and inter colleges were transferred in the second week of September.
Despite this, several mountainous districts including Champawat, Pithoragarh and others are facing a shortage of teachers as teachers transferred under the policy to these districts have not assumed charge.School Education director Chandra Singh Gwal said, “Though, I belong to Pithoragarh district and despite crunch of teachers in the Government schools, I have failed to deploy teachers there because most of the teachers deployed there under the policy have not joined their assigned schools.”
Talking to The Pioneer, Pithoragarh chief education officer VK Tamta said that there is an acute shortage of teachers in various Government schools of the district. A teacher each has been deputed in as many as 130 Government primary schools and 23 Government junior high schools in the district. “We have written several letters seeking teachers in the government schools to the education directorate in vain,” he added.
As many as 105 teachers’ posts are vacant in various Government primary schools, 355 teachers’ posts in different junior high schools, 312 teachers’ posts in various high schools and more than 200 teachers’ posts in various Government inter colleges in the district.There is acute shortage of science and mathematics teachers in the district.
Five out of 8 posts of block education officer are vacant in the district which is adversely affecting administrative works in the district. “We face difficulties in providing quality education due to shortage of teachers in the government schools of the district," he added. Champawat chief education officer DS Gaur said that around 30 per cent teachers’ posts are vacant in various Government primary schools, junior high schools, high schools and Government inter colleges in the district.
Teachers were deployed under Uttarakhand teacher transfer policy, but they have not joined their assigned schools in the district. Education in the Government schools has been adversely affected due to shortage of teachers in the Government schools, he added.