Keonjhar: The state government has been carrying out school transformation programmes to equip high schools with modern infrastructure facilities to ensure quality education, but vacancies in teachers’ posts have affected studies in the district. Reports said 358 teacher posts are lying vacant in various schools, even though the government has appointed 340 general and sports teachers December 16, 2021. The new academic session has begun June 17, but lack of teachers has left students and their guardians worried over the studies.
On the other hand, given the situation in the government-run schools, scores of meritorious students have left for private schools. There are 208 government schools in the district, but studies of these schools have allegedly been affected by 358 vacancies. In such a situation, exacting quality education is a distant dream locals said.
Besides, 62 high schools do not have headmasters. It is often alleged that Sanskrit teachers are teaching science while sports teachers teach History, Geography, Mathematics and Hindi. District education officer (DEO) Purnachandra Sethi said that teachers will be appointed soon. “There are 1,748 sanctioned posts of teachers in the district while 1,390 teachers are at work,” he added.