Staff vacancies expose claims of free edu for all

Ambika Sharma

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Tribune News Service

Solan, August 8

As many as 23 per cent posts of teaching and non-teaching staff are lying vacant in various schools and a lone college of Kasauli Assembly segment for about a year. All the talk about free and compulsory education for all children in the 6-14 age group as a fundamental right stands defeated in this scenario.

Exposing the state government’s lack of sensitivity towards promoting quality education, this paints a grim scenario for the poor, who send their children to government schools. While those having adequate financial resources prefer private schools for their wards, poor sections of the society usually opt for government institutes due to low fee.

As against the 1,431 sanctioned posts of teaching and non-teaching staff, there are 333 vacancies — including 44 school cadre lecturers, 22 trained graduate teachers, 75 junior basic teachers, besides an assistant professor (college cadre), librarian, school principal, headmaster and two posts of physical education.

These figures were placed before the Vidhan Sabha in a reply sought by Kasauli MLA Vinod Sultanpuri. It was appalling to note that even primary schools had as many as 75 vacancies, putting a question mark on the quality of basic education a child would secure in such staff-deprived schools.

Since few fresh appointments have taken place since 2023, children are forced to fend for themselves.

As many as 21 posts of laboratory attendants are also vacant, which is adversely affecting practical work in science laboratories.

Besides, the posts of superintendents, senior and junior assistants, multi-task workers, clerks, junior office assistants are also vacant in large numbers. Consequently, the teaching staff is often burdened with clerical work as well.

Some schools tried to make temporary arrangement, filling the vacancies by engaging staff through the parent-teacher association or school management committee. This was, however, viewed in negative light by the state government, which issued directions in July, warning the institute head of severe action if they went ahead with such a move.