The school education department is struggling with an administrative lacuna, with 11 of 44, or one-fourth, sanctioned posts of district education officers (secondary) and district education officer (elementary) in Punjab lying vacant.
The administrative gap is most severe in Malerkotla, which has not even been allotted the posts since the district was formed in 2021. Consequently, the district’s education administration is managed through additional charges assigned to district education officers of Sangrur, increasing their workload.
The vacancies have triggered criticism from the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF), which has said that leaving these critical posts empty across the 23 districts has crippled school administration and severely overburdened the remaining staff.
The posts of district education officers are generally filled through promotion from the principal cadre on the basis of seniority through the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC).
However, around 1,100 of principal posts are also vacant, constituting more than 56% of the 1,927 sanctioned posts. Further, at 110, nearly half of the 228 Block Primary Education Officer (BPEO) posts are also vacant.
The data was procured by DTF from the E-Punjab website of the education department.
{{/usCountry}}The data was procured by DTF from the E-Punjab website of the education department.
{{/usCountry}}DTF Punjab state president Vikram Dev Singh, general secretary Mahinder Kaurianwali and finance secretary Ashwani Awasthi said while the Punjab government repeatedly made tall claims about major reforms in education, the ground reality presented an entirely different picture. Keeping posts responsible for administering an entire district vacant for long periods raised serious questions about the government’s commitment to school education, they said.
When contacted, Punjab education secretary Sonali Giri said, “The high court had stayed principals’ promotion in January. Relief on the stay was provided last month. Now, by the end of this month, the promotions of principals and head teachers, along with master cadres, will be announced, while lecturer recruitment is already underway.”
Regarding the vacant DEO posts, an official from the education department said once the principal posts were filled, it will pave the way for their promotions as DEOs.