Missing teachers

The latest rationalisation exercise by Haryana’s Elementary Education Department has laid bare the dismal state of public education in the state. A staggering 487 government primary schools function without a single teacher, while 294 schools have no students enrolled. If this is the picture of primary education, the state of secondary and higher education is even grimmer. The rationalisation process has resulted in the elimination of 5,313 teaching posts, despite a significant teacher shortage. The student-teacher ratio may seem manageable at 28:1, but the reality on the ground is much worse, with over 16,500 TGT and 11,341 PGT positions lying vacant. Even universities and colleges are reeling under a massive faculty shortage, with nearly half of the lecturer posts in government colleges unfilled.

Budgetary neglect further worsens the crisis. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had last year, while hearing a petition in a related matter, flagged the surrender of ?10,675 crore in education funds due to underutilisation. If the government is unable to use the allocated funds effectively, the promise of strengthening education under the National Education Policy (NEP) rings hollow. Not surprisingly, Haryana government schools are lagging behind Punjab and Himachal Pradesh in arithmetic and literacy skills. The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024 paints a grim picture — only 43.1 per cent of Class VIII students in rural government schools can perform division, a decline from 49.5 per cent in 2022. Punjab leads with 58 per cent, followed by HP at 44 per cent. Reading skills are equally concerning, with just 53.9 per cent of Class V students able to read a Class II-level text.

Instead of shutting down schools and cutting teaching positions, the government must prioritise recruitment, infrastructure and funding. Otherwise, Haryana’s education sector will continue its downward spiral, leaving students at a disadvantage.