Kupwara’s education system on the brink as 738 teaching posts lie vacant

Kupwara, Nov 5: The education sector in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district is reeling under an unprecedented staff crisis, with over 700 teaching and administrative posts lying vacant, leaving government schools severely understaffed and thousands of students without proper academic support.

According to official data, 412 lecturer posts, 309 master posts, and 17 principal positions are vacant across government high and higher secondary schools in the district. The staggering shortfall has crippled the academic structure, forcing teachers to shoulder extra classes and leaving many subjects untaught for weeks.

Teachers say that the shortage has reached a breaking point.

“In some higher secondary schools, one teacher is handling multiple subjects. How can meaningful learning take place in such conditions?” asked a lecturer from Kralpora, Kupwara.

The crisis has also exposed glaring administrative gaps. Eight high schools and one higher secondary school are functioning without official administrative sanction, meaning they have no sanctioned posts and no formal government approval. These institutions continue to operate only through temporary adjustments, making their existence irregular and their operation unsustainable.

To plug the gap, the education department has been diverting teachers from primary and middle schools to handle senior classes — a move that has backfired. Educators say the move has weakened the foundation of early education while barely improving the situation in higher classes.

“This practice has destabilised the entire academic setup,” said a senior teacher from Handwara. “Primary schools, which are already understaffed, are being stripped of teachers to fill gaps at the senior level. The result is chaos across all stages of schooling.”

The absence of principals in 17 higher secondary schools has further compounded the problem. Without leadership, these institutions struggle with academic planning, administrative management, and disciplinary oversight. “When a school has no head, coordination breaks down — from examinations to mid-day meal distribution,” said another teacher.

Parents, too, are deeply worried. “Our children are being taught in uncertainty. The department must wake up before it’s too late,” said a parent in Kupwara town. “There is no stability, no accountability. The future of our children is at stake.”

Locals and teachers have urged the government to launch an immediate recruitment drive, fill the vacant positions, and regularise the unsanctioned institutions. They have also called for a transparent policy to prevent arbitrary teacher transfers that disrupt schooling across the district.

“Unless urgent steps are taken, the crisis threatens to derail the entire education system in Kupwara,” locals warned.

Education experts say that the situation reflects years of administrative neglect in remote areas, where infrastructure and staffing have remained low on priority.