On May 23, Monday, a senior government official stated that the schools have triggered a "crisis-like" situation due to the huge shortage of teachers, as stated in a report by PTI. While explaining this issue to Ramesh Kumar, Divisional Commissioner in Jammu, Mussarat Islam, the Commissioner of District Development in Ramban, red-flagged the issue of the widening gap between sanctioned strength and in-position teaching staff. An immediate course of action should put the School Education Department back on track, he suggested.
Quoting a statement of the Chief Education Officer in Ramban, on the mismatch between sanctioned strength and positions vacant for principals, headmasters and other teaching staff at all levels in government schools, Islam said, "The figures are disturbing." The dearth of teachers has created a 'crisis-like' situation in the district with protests by Panchayati Raj institutions, parents and the general public almost every day, with demands for filling up of all vacant posts, as stated in a report by PTI.
In his letter, the District Commissioner stated, "Since the matter was last taken up with the School Education Department for filling up of vacant posts, there has been a steady procession of teaching staff, especially lecturers and masters, to the other districts without any replacements, thus rendering the majority of schools without adequate teaching staff." Out of 269 posts, 168 posts of lecturers are presently lying vacant with most of the higher secondary schools left without even a single lecturer and, out of these 168 posts, 15 are under orders of transfer, he added.
Further, Islam said, “With 256 posts of masters against 437 and 43 out of 59 posts of headmasters also lying vacant, Ramban is literally on the edge in the School Education sector." He added, "If this widening gap between sanctioned strengths and in-position teaching staff in the district is not immediately addressed, there is every likelihood of a flare-up in public resentment and possible law-and-order situation.” The Divisional Commissioner was requested by the Deputy Commissioner to take this matter to an appropriate level and fill the vacancies as soon as possible.
