Disparity in teacher-student ratio in Phagwara govt schools expose deployment lapses

Stark disparities in teacher-student ratio have come to light in several government schools of Phagwara and nearby villages, revealing serious lapses in the planning and deployment of teaching staff by the Education Department.

In some cases, schools with barely a handful of students have more teachers than required, while others with large enrolments are struggling with a severe shortage of staff. At the Government Primary School in Khati village, only two students are enrolled against three teachers, while the Government School in Palahai has 81 students being managed by a single teacher. The Government School at Chachoki has 396 students and 17 teachers, whereas Gobindpura school has 133 students, but only three teachers.

The imbalance persists across several other schools. Khajurala Government School has 148 students and nine teachers, Mehtan has 124 students and 10 teachers, Rihana Jattan 121 students and eight teachers, Hadiabad 208 students and 14 teachers, Khalwara 153 students and 10 teachers, Bohani 37 students and five teachers, Ucha Pind 47 students and eight teachers and Rampur Khalian has 23 students and two teachers.

The situation in government middle schools is equally concerning. The Government Middle School at Charrha has eight students being taught by a single teacher, while Dhadhey has 14 students and one teacher. The Khaira middle school has as many as 174 students but just one teacher to handle all classes. Sham Nagar School has 81 students and two teachers, and Jamalpur has 62 students with only two teachers.

Retired principal Gurmit Singh Palahai alleged that the government was functioning in an “unplanned and inconsistent manner”, leading to such imbalances. “Some schools are overstaffed, while others are left to struggle. This clearly shows a lack of rationalisation and planning in teacher deployment,” he said.

District Education Officer (Elementary) Harjinder Singh acknowledged the issue of imbalance and shortage of teachers. He said the matter had been noted and assured that he would write to the higher authorities to take necessary corrective measures.

The situation has raised serious questions about the effectiveness of teacher rationalisation drives, which the Education Department claims to undertake every year. Parents and educationists say that unless staffing is aligned with student strength, the quality of education in government schools will continue to suffer.