A staggering 59,772 posts of teachers remain vacant in government schools in Karnataka. Of these, 50,067 posts are vacant in primary schools and 9,705 in high schools. It should be noted that as many as 6,158 schools are managing with just one teacher.
Educationists argue that the government is eroding educational standards at all levels, from primary to high school, due to widespread teacher shortage and inadequate facilities that fail to attract even teachers, stated a report by The New Indian Express.
Experts suggest that Karnataka should follow Kerala's example, where Rs 10,000 crore has been allocated over five years to enhance school models for holistic educational development. They argue that shortage of teachers is a clear violation of the Right to Education, which mandates one teacher for every 30 students in primary schools, and one for every 35 students in higher primary schools.
Educationist Niranjanaradhya VP argued, “With 50,067 primary teacher positions vacant and 34,807 more retiring by 2028-29, how can we maintain quality education?” He stressed that without immediate action, the education system will face an 80,000-strong vacancy backlog, crippling schools across the state.
To tackle teacher shortage, the department has turned to 45,000 guest teachers across the state, with about 35,000 of them working at the primary level alone.
Professor Niranjanaradhya criticized the government’s reliance on guest teachers, saying it shows they are aware of the shortage but avoid hiring. “This is a deliberate move. The government is happy paying guest teachers just Rs 10,000 while running schools. If they can hire 45,000 guest teachers, why not permanent teachers?” he questioned.
He argued that if the government cannot allocate Rs 10,000 crore like Kerala did, they should at least spread the amount over three years. "But shortcuts are never the solution," he said, emphasizing that a long-term approach is needed to solve the crisis.
Data also highlights that government schools have faced a decline in enrolment, with just 42.92 lakh students across 46,757 schools. Though English-medium sections were introduced to draw in more students, enrolment numbers have not improved significantly. Experts lament that the government's actions, across party lines, are only damaging the reputation of government schools.
On recruitment, Minister for School Education Madhu Bangarappa recently stated that a recruitment notification was released in 2022 to fill 15,000 graduate teacher positions, with 13,352 candidates deemed eligible. He added that appointment orders were issued to 12,521 of these candidates, and the issue regarding the remaining candidates is currently pending in the Supreme Court.
