Due to shortage of lT (licence in Teaching) teachers and lecturers in around 25 per cent Government schools of various districts, including Champawat, Pithoragarh, Tehri, Pauri, Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Nainital, the Uttarakhand Class X and Class XII board results might be affected this year. The education department has posted adequate number of teachers in Haridwar and Dehradun district.
The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2013 released recently in New Delhi revealed that the Education Department has failed to improve the standard of education in Government schools and is struggling to even ensure that the required number of teachers is provided to Government schools.
Uttarkashi Chief Education Officer Raghunath Arya said, “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 Govern-ment primary schools, junior high schools, high schools and inter colleges were transferred in the second week of September, 2013. Despite this, several mountainous Govern-ment schools are facing a shortage of teachers as those transferred under the policy to these schools have not assumed charge.”
He further said that around 30 per cent schools were facing shortage of teachers in the district. Several Government schools in the district were without headmaster or Principal for the last many years. “Under these circumstances, we are facing difficulties in trying to improve our board result this year,” he added.
Haridwar Education Officer said that around 30 Government High Schools run under Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan were facing shortage of teachers for some years now. Around two or three out of seven required teachers were deployed in these schools though there was no shortage of teachers in other schools of the district, added the officer.
Pithoragarh Chief Education Officer VK Tamta said that there was an acute shortage of teachers in Government schools of the district. A teacher each has been deputed in as many as 130 Government primary schools and 23 Governme-nt 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.
There are 105 vacant teachers’ posts in various Government primary schools, 355 vacant posts in different junior high schools, 312 vacant posts in various high schools and more than 200 vacant 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 eight posts of block education officer are vacant in the district which is adversely affecting administrative works. “We face difficulties in providing quality education due to shortage of teachers in government schools of the district,” he added.
Pauri district officer said that there has been shortage of around 20 per cent teachers in the government schools which would have adverse impact on the forthcoming board examination results. To improve board results, school principals have been directed to conduct remedial classes for weak students in their schools.
Champawat education officer 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 the assigned schools in the district which has adversely affected quality of education in Government schools, he added.
However, some teachers opined that despite shortage of teachers in the schools of mountainous parts, the board results (in percentage) are generally better than schools located in plains of the State.
It should be mentioned here that the Class X and Class XII board examination 2014 is scheduled to begin from March 24, 2014 and would continue till April 14.