700 unfilled teaching posts in Kupwara takes toll on academics

Kupwara, May 30: The education sector in north Kashmir's Kupwara district is under severe strain as over 700 teaching posts remain vacant across the district, affecting the quality of education badly.

Different government educational institutions across the district are grappling with a massive staff shortage. According to official data, 412 lecturer posts, 309 master posts, and 17 Principal positions remain vacant across high and higher secondary institutions. These vacancies have been severely impacting academic delivery, leaving institutions overstretched and under-resourced.

In another worrying development, eight high schools and one higher secondary school are functioning without official administrative creation. These institutions have been operating without any sanctioned posts, making their operation both irregular and unsustainable.

To deal with the crisis, the education department in Kupwara has been deploying teachers from primary and middle schools to man senior classes, a move that has triggered concern among both educators and parents. "This practice of deploying teachers has weakened the primary education structure in the district and most importantly it does not solve the larger issue. The diverting of teachers compromise foundational education at the primary level, which is already understaffed in most of the schools across the district," said a senior teacher from the district.

Absence of Principals in 17 schools happens to be another factor responsible for the sorry state of affairs. The vacancies have left these institutions without leadership, affecting academic planning, discipline, and overall governance.

Parents are also anguished and worried about the consequences of such administrative gaps. "The education department has taken us on a ride as there is no stability and accountability. The clouds of uncertainty loom over our children as they are being taught in uncertainty," said a parent in Kupwara town.

Locals have appealed to the government to initiate an immediate recruitment drive and regularise unsanctioned schools so that the education system of the district might witness strength. "Unless urgent steps are taken, the staff crisis threatens to jeopardize the academic future of thousands of students in Kupwara" they added. The situation in Kupwara underscores a broader issue of neglect in the remote district and highlights the urgent need of substantial staff across educational institutions in the district.