Border villagers offer stay to govt teachers

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 5

Villagers in Tarn Taran district have opened their doors to accommodate the teachers posted recently in schools in far-flung areas. The local population and social organisations are also offering transport to teachers.

The Education Department has recently posted a number of teachers, specially of maths and science, in the border district, which had been facing the maximum shortage of school staff.

District Education Officer (DEO) Nirmal Singh said at least four families and one institution had already committed to provide accommodation to teachers at their places in Tarn Taran. A confirmation in this regard had been received from government senior secondary schools at Khemkaran, Ghariala, and Patti. Baba Sewa Singh has offered hostel facility for female staff at Khadoor Sahib.

The department has also circulated information about resource persons who can be contacted for accommodation in Tarn Taran. Talking to The Tribune, a senior department official said: “We are carrying out a similar exercise in other border districts to facilitate teachers.”

Meanwhile, Tarn Taran still has the maximum number of vacancies among border districts. All 96 vacancies of science teacher are in the district. For social science, Amritsar has two vacant posts, Gurdaspur three and Tarn Taran 93; and for Punjabi, Amritsar seven, Fazilka three, Pathankot 65, Gurdaspur 36 and Tarn Taran 136.

Education Minister OP Soni said: “We are making efforts to improve the standard of education in border schools. Though certain institutions in Tarn Taran have been left out in the recent postings, more vacancies will be filled in the coming days. We don’t want to make any tall claims, but rather wait for the exam results next year.”