Members cutting across party lines in the Assembly expressed concern on Thursday over large number of vacancy of teachers at both primary and secondary levels.
Admitting that about 49,000 teachers posts are lying vacant at primary level, Minister of State for School and Mass Education Rabinarayan Nanda said that the process to recruit 17,000 sikhya sahayaks is on and the remaining 32,000 vacant posts will be filled up in phases.
Replying to a question of Congress MLA Dusmanta Nayak and supplementaries from Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh, Gobardhan Das and Pushpendra Singhdeo (BJD), the Minister said there was dearth of Mathematics, Science and English teachers in many schools. Besides, a large number of Hindi teachers posts are also lying vacant due to non-availability of teachers having requisite qualification.
“The Government has advertised for contractual appoint in 5000 posts in the first phase and notification for appointment of another 4000 teachers will be made in the second phase,” Nanda said adding, retired teachers interested to join on contractual basis will be given preference.
Responding to suggestions of a few members for appointment of qualified sikhya sahayaks and gana sikhyaks in upgraded high schools facing acute shortage of teachers, Nanda said that such an arrangement will create legal problem for the Government.
Senior BJD leader Amar Satpathy suggested for part-time appointment of youths having post-graduate degree in Arts, Science and Education.
“The Government will examine the proposal,” the Minister said. As per the national yardstick, the students-teacher ratio should be 30:1 at primary level and 35:1 at secondary level. If the teacher pupil ratio should be taken into consideration, the state’s requirement of teachers is very huge, the Minister said.
The State Government is fully aware of the problems. Though it has taken several measures to fill up the vacant post of teachers, several court cases are coming in the way of recruitment, he said.
Responding to original question, the Minister said the total number of primary schools in Kalahandi district is 2445 and the teachers strength in these schools is 9617.
However, currently 2195 teachers posts are lying vacant. Recently, 527 teachers have been recruited in the district, he said.
The Minister assured the Junagarh MLA Gobardhan Das that the Government will take steps to upgrade two upper primary schools to high schools as Das sat on dharna in the well of the House on the same demand.