Annual Transfer Drive fallout: Rural schools left understaffed as SED orders reshuffle of teaching staff

Srinagar, Jun 2: The government-run schools in the rural pockets of north Kashmir districts are grappling with the deficiency of the teaching staff, leaving the students at the receiving end. The schools have been left teacher deficient at a time when the School Education Department (SED) ordered mass reshuffle of teachers, masters and lecturers in various districts under the much hyped online Annual Transfer Drive (ATD).

During the past few weeks, SED operationalised ATD and reshuffled teaching staff in schools. However, in some schools located in remote pockets of rural areas, the teaching staff transferred under ATD were not provided with any replacement, leaving these schools teacher deficient. The move has led to an academic crisis in the schools as the regular classes of the students are not attended.

Government Higher Secondary School (HSS) Sultandaki in Uri area of Baramulla is a case in place. The school has no lecturer available for Chemistry, Mathematics, Zoology, Botany, Biotechnology and six other subjects. The department has recently hired one Cluster Resource Coordinator (CRC) who teaches Physics to the students in the school.

According to the officials, Chemistry Lecturer and Mathematics Lecturer was recently shifted from the school under ATD while no replacement was made to the schools. "The post of Zoology lecturer is also vacant in the school as the person holding the position retired from his services. The department has not even hired CRCs to teach other subjects to the students," an official told Greater Kashmir. Situation in HSS Salamabad is no different as the institution is grappling with the dearth of teaching staff. HSS Salamabad has four teacher posts and two positions of masters. However, the department has posted only two teachers and one master in the school. On top of it, HSS Sultandaki is headless for the last many months and the DDO powers of the school have been given to the Principal HSS Salamabad.

In the recently declared class 12th result, the pass percentage of HSS Salamabad Uri was 46.15 while Government HSS Sultandaki registered 47 percent result.

As many as 117 students from HSS Sultandaki appeared in the exam out of which 55 qualified it. The officials attribute the below 50% result to the indifferent attitude of the department towards the school.

"When the schools do not have faculty to teach students, how can we expect good performance of students from such schools," the official told Greater Kashmir. The official said that retaining around 117 students in class 12th students in a remote area is equivalent to the dozens of the schools located in cities and towns.

"The schools in towns and cities often remain overstaffed despite having meager enrollment but the department does not rationalise the staff on merits," the official said. Two lecturers were shifted from Government HSS Sheikhpora in Kreeri area of Baramulla but no replacement was provided to the school.

"When schools do not have adequate staff available, then we witness thin attendance of the students. This year the exams are scheduled in November-December, the government should consider it and ensure that all the schools are provided adequate teaching staff," a school teacher told Greater Kashmir.

Director School Education Kashmir (DSEK) Dr G N Itoo acknowledged the issue and said the department was looking for alternatives. "Wherever schools do not have availability of lecturers, the department will provide subject specific PG teachers to these institutions," he said. He said the headless higher secondary schools will also get the permanent heads as the department has already initiated the promotions. Joint Director SED, north Kashmir Hakeem Tanveer Ahmad when contacted said the issue about the dearth of lecturers and teachers in north Kashmir schools has been taken up with the department.

"We are working on it and the issue will be resolved within two days. We will ensure that students will not face any issues in getting quality education in schools," he told Greater Kashmir.