56 U.P. schools sans students, 5151 rely on solo teacher: Govt data
12.50% teaching posts are vacant in SCERT, the institution responsible for quality enhancement and teacher training in government primary and upper primary schools and 40.57% of teaching posts are vacant in the DIETs
ksandeep.kumar@livehindustan.com
Of the 1,32,842 government-run primary, upper primary and composite schools of the state, 56 have no students while 17,471 institutions have student strength under 50, as per the latest data of the U.P. basic education department.
The data also shows that all these schools are grappling with acute shortage of teachers with 5151 schools being managed by single teacher even after 13 years since the Right to Education (RTE) Act-2009 was implemented in July 2011 in the state.
Primary schools cater to students till class 5, upper primary from classes 5 to 8 and composite schools from classes 1 to 8. The data for academic session (2023-24) was shared by officials at a Delhi meeting held in connection with the annual action plan and budget (2024-25) for the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan in the Department of School Education and Literacy under the Union ministry of Education, New Delhi.
“The most worrying thing is that the teacher-student ratio in 37.13% of these schools is not in as per RTE norms. Now, instructions have been issued to provide teachers in schools as per the set standard,” said an official of the state basic education department.
As per the data (copy of which is with HT), 56 schools have no students. What’s more, 12.50% of teaching posts are vacant in the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), the institution responsible for quality enhancement and teacher training in government primary and upper primary schools and 40.57% of teaching posts are vacant in the District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs). “Instructions have been given to fill these posts on priority as well,” as per the minutes of the Delhi meeting.
As many as 88 of the 99 Kasturba Gandhi Residential Girls Schools that were upgraded, have not yet been made operational, as per government data.
Academic blocks and hostels are being built for the girl students in these upgraded schools so that after passing class 8, the girl students are able to stay in these hostels and complete their studies till class 12, officials said.
They said instructions have also been given to fill up the 12.05% vacant seats in Kasturba schools.
