Here, 1 maths teacher caters to 601 students
Karam Prakash
Tribune News Service
Shutrana (Patiala), January 15
Quality education seems to have gone for a toss at Government Senior Secondary School, Shutrana, 60 km from the district headquarters, for a single teacher is teaching maths to 601 students of classes VI to X. With exams round the corner, students are at their wits’ end.
Officials told to take help of other schools
I was recently made aware of the issue at a meeting. Through a verbal communiqué, I have already asked the officials concerned to make adjustments from nearby schools.
Harvinder Kaur, district coordinator
In the absence of enough maths teachers, students — mostly from poor families — are finding it hard to cope with the syllabus, say villagers. Of the four sanctioned posts for the subject, one is lying vacant, while two others are on deputation elsewhere for over a year now. For the lone teacher, it is a Herculean task teaching 601 students. This is unjust, say experts.
The school principal has asked teachers of other subjects to teach maths. However, board classes of VIII and X are being taught by the math teacher. Science teachers say teaching math is a bit tough for them, as it requires conceptual understanding of the subject.
Since the school is in an interior area, teachers are hesitant to go there, say staff members. The students, a few days ago, had raised the issue before the school head.
The village is a big one, having many panchayats. Sarpanches say they have already met the school principal and demanded more maths teachers in view of the board exams. The principal said: “We have already made a request for teachers, but to no avail. We are somehow managing to meet the curriculum. Of course, student’s education is being compromised.”
