Kashmir Impulse Desk

Jammu, May 15 

Education Minister Sakeena Itoo on Friday acknowledged a shortage of staff in government schools, saying the imbalance had affected the teacher-student ratio across several institutions.

Speaking to reporters after inaugurating the newly constructed building of Government Degree College Majalta in Udhampur district, Itoo said the shortage was linked to the absence of fresh recruitment after 2019.

“After 2019, no recruitment of teachers against different posts took place. Now we are trying to defreeze these posts to pave the way for fresh recruitment,” she said.

The minister said the education department was also facing disparities in teacher deployment, with some urban schools having excess staff while others, particularly in rural areas, faced acute shortages.

“In some schools, there is an excess number of teachers while the number of students is less. There are 10 teachers against the requirement of two teachers. In some other schools, there is an acute shortage of staff, so we need to go for rationalisation,” she said.

Itoo said the government had initiated the rationalisation process and directed the School Education Department to carry it out in a transparent manner.

“The process is on. I have asked the Director School Education to go for rationalisation wherever needed so that the problem of staff shortage in rural areas can be addressed,” she said.

The minister said the government had conducted 21 departmental promotion committees for teachers, lecturers and laboratory assistants, but added that promotions had also created vacancies at lower levels.

“To address it, we have referred the posts to recruitment boards. It will take time, but the process is underway,” she said.

Commenting on newly opened colleges, Itoo said merely establishing institutions without adequate infrastructure would not help improve higher education standards.

“There will be no use of colleges operating from a single room or rented buildings without proper infrastructure and facilities,” she said.

She said the government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was working to strengthen educational infrastructure across Jammu and Kashmir.

“There were at least 15 to 20 colleges operating without proper buildings or from rented accommodations. During the last one-and-a-half years, we have constructed buildings and equipped the majority of these colleges with the required infrastructure,” she said.

Itoo also stressed the need to build a drug-free society and urged educational institutions to play a proactive role in spreading awareness against substance abuse.

Ranbir Singh Pathania, senior officials, faculty members, students and local residents were present at the event.