Acute teacher shortage plagues Nuapada high schools

OST Bureau

Nuapada, Jan 9:

The state government never tires of claiming that it is giving topmost priority to primary and secondary education in the state. But a reality check in densely tribal populated remote Nuapada district proves otherwise.

Education in the district’s high schools is in a complete shambles owing to the state government’s apathetic attitude. The government has limited its responsibilities to provision of bicycles, uniforms and text books to students. Plagued by shortage of teachers, education in these schools in the district has come to a stop, forcing poor tribal parents to take their wards off these schools.

It may be noted that Nuapada district has 146 high schools, out of which 76 have no headmasters. Similarly, out of 903 government sanctioned teacher posts in different departments, 192 are lying vacant. Out of a total requirement of 34 headmasters in government run high schools, there are only six of them at present. 94 out of the 447 sanctioned other teachers’ posts are lying vacant.

The situation in government aided schools is no different. Out of 18 sanctioned headmaster posts in these schools, half are lying vacant. In the case of other teachers, 12 out of the 144 sanctioned posts are lying vacant.

In 39 block grant schools in the district, not a single school one has a headmaster.  While these schools have a requirement of 312 teachers, there are 226 of them at present leaving 86 teacher posts vacant.

The 146 high schools in the district have a total enrolment of 16,952 students on its rolls out of which 9,092 are boys and 7860 girls.