Transfer triggers protests in Hisar, villagers claim studies affected

Hisar, August 27

The rationalisation process has evoked a strong reaction from several villages of Hisar, where government schools are set to get low strength of teaching staff in the ongoing reshuffle.

Residents in Sisay, Satrod, Chamarkhera, Nangthala, Badhawar, Jamawari and Chuli Kalan villages have witnessed protests at various schools. In Satrod Kalan’s Government Girls Middle School, villagers alleged that six posts of teacher were being cut down, leaving only three for a student strength of 450.

Residents of Chamarkhera village said the posts of science, mathematics and English teachers were being abolished in the school, which would affect the studies of the students.

In Jamawari village’s Government Senior Secondary School, sarpanch Satish said the ongoing transfer drive had rendered the school without teachers for English, social studies, Hindi and Sanskrit for classes VIII to X, and for physics, economics and Sanskrit in higher secondary classes.

As per the Education Department, the district has a vacancy of 2,893 teachers in 877 government schools. It has a total sanctioned strength of 8,553 teachers, of which only 5,660 have been deployed in government schools.

Prabhu Singh, general secretary, Haryana School Teachers’ Association, said the rationalisation process was creating a mess rather than solving the problem of government schools. “The government has not been recruiting teachers for several years, which is the major reason for the shortage of teachers in schools. It is instead trying to build a narrative of non-performance of teachers, which is not true,” he added.

District Education Officer Kuldeep Sihag said they were getting representation from various villages, wherein locals were demanding more teachers in government schools. “We have sent their representation to the higher authorities for consideration,” he added.