Staff crunch hits functioning of govt schools in Nawanshahr, Banga, Balachaur

Avneet Kaur

Advertisement

Jalandhar, May 1

As many as 25 government middle and primary schools in Nawanshahr, Banga and Balachaur are suffering due to teaching staff crunch. All these schools are either teacher-less or operating with one teacher or a volunteer, who not only takes classes, but also manage administrative work.

Nearly 37% of teaching posts are lying vacant in Nawanshahr. This problem won’t be solved unless the new govt speeds up the recruitment process. Over 50% of non-teaching posts are also lying vacant. Kulwinder Singh Sarai, DEO, Nawanshahr

Sources in the Education Department said though the government claims that this staff crunch was mainly due to vacant posts, however, the ground reality was something different. They said through political clout, teachers were taking stations of their own choice due to which there was an uneven distribution of teaching staff in schools.

“In majority of the government schools in cities, there are more teachers than actually required. The government schools in rural belts not only lack basic facilities, but also don’t have any teachers,” they added.

They further said this problem of staff shortage due to ‘political sifarish’ has been brought into the notice of officials time and again, but neither the previous Congress government did anything to stop this practice nor the AAP government was now making any effort to streamline this unequal distribution of staff.

At present, government middle schools running with only one teacher are located at Ladhana Ucha, Karimpur, Nai Mazara villages (all in Nawanshahr block), Kharkuwal, Jullah Majra, Kahlon (in Aur block), Khanpur, Bajjon, Raipur Dabba, Sheikhupur, Bharomjara Ranua, Ballowal (in Mukandpur block), Baharmajara, Bharoli (in Banga block) and Uttal, Lalpur, Ghamaur, Chakli Sujat, Muzaffarpur and Lalpur villages (in Balachaur-2 block).

The teacher-less middle schools are at Daryapur (Aur block), Lakhpur and Nurpur (Mukandpur block) and Chak Guru (Banga block) and Government Primary School in Chakli Sujat in Balachaur, where there is no teacher, but an EGS (Education Guarantee Scheme) volunteer has been deputed.

Meanwhile, all these middle schools have a decent enrolment of students. But due to lack of teachers, students of Classes V, VI, VII and VIII are made to sit in a single classroom and single teacher is deputed for all subjects.

Talking to The Tribune, Satpal Chakli, a social worker and former sarpanch of Chakli Sujat village in Balachaur, said: “The AAP government has promised to provide quality education to people and recruit teachers and other staff in government schools on a war footing. But it seems after coming to power, their priorities have changed.” “Forget about basic facilities like clean water and washrooms, there are no teachers in schools,” he added.

Chakli further claimed that he regularly visits the DEO office to request him to depute teachers in schools as parents were worried about the education of their wards.

Besides, no new admissions are taking place as parents are irked over the pathetic condition and functioning of government schools.

Gurvinder Singh, a parent, from Daryapur village, said on one hand, the AAP was making tall claims of improving the education sector, but on the other, it had failed to check staff distribution in schools. “If they really wish to bring positive changes in education, at least they should first visit their own schools,” he added.

Nawanshahr DEO Kulwinder Singh Sarai said nearly 37 per cent of teaching posts were lying vacant in Nawanshahr. He said until the new government doesn’t speed up the recruitment process, this problem won’t be solved. He further said over 50 per cent of non-teaching posts, too, were lying vacant.

Officials at Banga and Balachaur, too, gave similar response and said the teaching posts were lying vacant due to which there was shortage of staff at some schools.

Meanwhile, Balachaur MLA Santosh Kataria refused to comment on the issue, while Nawanshahr MLA Nachhatar Pal Singh said he would take up the matter with officials concerned and request the Education Minister and the Chief Minister to fill vacant posts in government schools.

Padho Punjab, Padhao Punjab campaign takes a backseat

• Sources in the Education Department said ‘Padho Punjab, Padhao Punjab’, which was started with an aim to change the face of government schools, seems to have taken a backseat.
• The motivation among teachers to convert their schools into smart institutions is missing. Besides, no efforts are being made to increase enrolment of students in state-run schools.