Future of 5 lakh students of Punjab's government aided schools under threat

16 February, 2013

Due to the ban on recruitment for the last ten years in 484 government-aided schools, high and second secondary, operational in Punjab, the posts of 100 per cent principals and about 60 per cent teachers of different categories are lying vacant, and schools are in pitiable condition.

On the one hand, with the assistance of the central government, Punjab Government is spending cores of rupees on the development of education on schemes such as RSMA, Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan, Nabard and Adarsh Schools. In these schools, free mid-day meal, books, uniforms, cycle to girls and money for other basic infrastructure and grants is being released. And in government schools recruitment of teachers is also made from time to time.

But on the other hand, due to the ban on recruitment for the last ten years in the 484 government aided schools, high and second secondry, - the posts of 100 per cent principals and about 60 per cent teachers of different categories are lying vacant.

The primary schools in the state are running on the mercy of one or two teachers and now the situation is such that with the retirement of the entire staff of the school, the practice of running the school by giving the charge of the school to other school heads, is being followed.

There's the more than century old school Hindu Girls School in Ferozepur, which was included in the list of aided schools in 1967 with sanctioned strength of 29 teachers. The unfortunate part about this school is thaton 30 September, the charge of this school has been given to some other local government-aided school. Even the offer of one NRI to donate Rs. 50 lakh to run the school was not honoured by the management of the school, despite mediation by the district administration.

Kishore Kalra, Patron of Education Reforms Committee has said that if this situation is not taken seriously by the government in the coming one year, nobody will be able to stop the deterioration in the education system in the state like in the case of the Hindu Girls School. And the main reason for the same is putting a ban on recruitment of teachers in 2003. A similar situation exists in other districts of Punjab.

He further said, in 1967, the strength of the teachers was fixed according to the number of students in 484 schools. The decision was taken to freeze the posts and no additional posts of teaches were sanctioned by the government. But it was also decided that these posts would not be reduced but the situation has been reversed due to these decisions.

The Education Reforms Committee (ERC) members have said that the future of about 5 lakh students is under threat due to the the ban on filling up vacant posts in these 484 schools. The ERC has demanded the government to lift the ban on recruitment so that the administrative as well as education work can run properly, and there is development of education in the state besides giving employment to educated youth.