Jharigaon: Academic activities at government schools across the state are in disarray due to shortage of teachers which is a perennial problem for the School and Mass Education Department for years.
Take the case of Phuphuhgaon Government High School in Jharigaon block of Nabarangpur district. The total strength of the school is 331 with classes from St I to X.
“We continue to suffer adversely as the teachers’ positions in most of the subjects are lying vacant. Shortage of teachers adversely affects our education,” said students.
The school was established in 1990 as primary school by the state government. Later it was upgraded to High School in 2007.
After the school was upgraded the district administration had constructed classrooms for the students from Class VII to X but the administration had forgotten to fill the vacant positions of teachers.
There are only four teachers including the headmaster for 267 students from Class I to VIII and there are only two teachers for 67 students for Classes IX and X.
Class IX and X students are facing difficulties in studying subjects like mathematics, science and Hindi as they don’t have teachers. In fact, posts in these subjects have been lying vacant for the last five years.
Parents have been complaining in this regard to the authority concerned but to no avail. Frustrated, they shifted their children to other schools.
Educationists have long been pointing out that shortage of teachers is a big hurdle in ensuring quality education and the only way to improve the situation is to recruit adequate number of qualified teachers.
Some students of the school said as their economic condition is poor they can’t afford to study in other schools. “So we are left with no choice but to continue our matriculation here.”
When Block Education Officer Suresh Chandra Nayak was asked about the teacher shortage, he said, “we will fill up the vacant teacher posts within one month.”
PNN