Ludhiana: As new session nears, shortage of teachers triggers ‘crisis-like’ situation in govt schools

Lecturer Cadre Union district president Dharamjeet Singh Dhillon, who is also the state finance secretary, highlighted the gravity of the situation

With the new academic session just two months away, government schools across the state are grappling with a critical shortage of key personnel. Many positions, including principals, head teachers and lecturers, remain vacant, raising serious concerns about the quality of education and administrative efficiency.

The delays in the promotion process are another source of frustration. (HT File)

Lecturer Cadre Union district president Dharamjeet Singh Dhillon, who is also the state finance secretary, highlighted the gravity of the situation. “In our district alone, at least 50 principal positions are vacant, alongside nearly 600 lecturer posts. Students are about to start the new session in schools without heads. While principals are sent abroad for training, we urge the government to prioritise filling these posts first,” said Dhillon. He also criticised the state government for relying on draft seniority to grant promotions, a practice not seen before.

The delays in the promotion process are another source of frustration. “Since 2015, no seniority list for lecturers has been released, and since 2019, no seniority list for master cadre teachers has been issued. The department sought objections to the draft seniority list for lecturers in October, but the final list is still pending. Without it, how can promotions move forward?,” Dhillon questioned.

Meanwhile, the education department had called for cases to promote master cadre teachers to head teachers, but no further action has been taken. A principal from a government senior secondary school, speaking anonymously, described the growing administrative burden. “One principal is now handling drawing and disbursing officer (DDO) responsibilities for four-five schools. Their entire day is spent managing OTPs and administrative tasks for multiple schools, which is an impossible workload. How can a single person manage this effectively?,” the principal added.

The situation has sparked widespread dissatisfaction among teachers. Democratic Teachers Front (DTF) district president Daljit Singh Samrala announced plans for a rally in Gambhirpur on Sunday. “We were supposed to meet officials in Chandigarh on January 14, but no one showed up. This is not the first time this has happened. We are now planning to protest outside the education minister’s residence. Schools cannot function with a single teacher or remain headless. The government is quick to merge schools but silent on addressing critical issues,” said Singh.

Despite multiple attempts, DPI (Secondary) Paramjeet Singh remained unavailable for comment. As the delays persist, students’ education and progress continue to suffer, leaving educators deeply concerned about the future of government schools.