2,057 govt schools run by single teacher in Himachal

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 29

Even as the Himachal Pradesh Government makes tall claims of having made rapid strides in education, the situation on the ground tells a contrasting story with 2,057 primary and middle schools being run by a single teacher.

Besides, 722 primary and middle schools have only one classroom. As per the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) report for 2020-21, at least 6,479 primary and 378 middle schools have just two teachers each, while 1,573 primary and 746 middle schools are being run by three teachers each.

Further, 2,807 primary and 249 middle schools are functioning from two rooms and 4,041 primary and 1,136 middle schools from three rooms each.

The total strength of teachers in 15,323 government schools is 67,249 (40,758 male and 26,491 female) and the average teacher-pupil ratio is 12.83 at the primary level, 11.32 at middle, 11.60 at secondary and 10.96 at the senior secondary level, which is far better than the national average. But irrational deployment of staff and indiscriminate opening of schools has created an anomalous situation.

The student-classroom ratio at primary, middle, secondary and senior secondary levels is 9, 14, 24 and 21 respectively, and the overall average is 13. The ratio is only four in Lahaul and Spiti, eight in Kinnaur and 10 in Shimla district. The same is 17 in Solan, 16 Una, 15 Kullu and Sirmaur, 14 Chamba and 13 Bilaspur and Kangra districts.

Infra skewed too

• The student-classroom ratio is only 4 in Lahaul & Spiti, 8 Kinnaur and 10 Shimla.
• The same is 17 in Solan, 16 Una, 15 Kullu and Sirmaur, 14 Chamba
• 722 schools with just one classroom
• 3,056 functioning from 2 rooms
• 5,177 have three classrooms each

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