HYDERABAD: With attendance hovering around 50–60%, students in Telangana returned to schools on Thursday after a long summer break. They were warmly welcomed by teachers, and several private schools even organised orientation programmes to motivate the students.
However, many government schools continue to face challenges due to a severe shortage of teaching and housekeeping staff. Nearly 15,000 teacher posts remain vacant. The state government recently announced the launch of pre-primary classes in 210 schools from this academic year. But some government teachers expressed concern that the initiative may fail.
“Being the first day after the vacation, attendance was slightly low. But in two to three days, we expect more students to return and full strength to be restored,” said Ravindra, a teacher at Government High School, Nallakunta. He noted that although textbooks were distributed early this year, the shortage of teaching staff — particularly in primary classes — has limited their use.
Telangana State United Teachers’ Federation (TSUTF) General Secretary Chava Ravi said, “We’ve been demanding that these posts be filled. The government’s plan to start primary sections without adequate teaching and support staff will only put pressure on the existing teachers. The government should first fill the vacant posts.”
The Education department has issued a circular instructing officials to adjust teacher deployment based on student strength in government schools.