Over 9,000 teaching posts were lying vacant in various government as well as grant-in-aid higher secondary and secondary schools in Gujarat as of last year, the assembly was told today, Monday, February 26.

Responding to a question raised by Congress MLA Arvind Ladani, Education Minister Kuber Dindor informed the House that 5,940 posts of teachers were lying vacant in 4,146 state-run as well as government-aided higher secondary schools as of March 2023.

He also stated that 3,260 posts of teachers were lying vacant in various state-run as well as government-aided secondary schools as of March 2023, while responding to a query raised by another Congress legislator Gulabsinh Chauhan, reported PTI.

A total of 671 government-run and 3,475 grants-in-aid higher secondary schools are functional in Gujarat, as per the data.

In Ahmedabad district alone, there are 581 vacancies of teachers, followed by 405 in Kheda, 307 in Amreli, 299 in Banaskantha, 283 in Surat, and 229 in Sabarkantha.

Out of 3,260 vacant posts in secondary schools, 796 posts are in government-run secondary schools and 2,464 posts are in grant-in-aid schools.

The state government assured the House that these vacant posts will be filled "at the earliest", PTI added.

On Congress MLA Geniben Thakor's query about the availability of playgrounds for school children, Dindor stated that 6,206 schools of all standards, including government as well as private ones, are functioning without any playground.