Ludhiana: ‘Hopes shattered’: Aspirants decry move to scrap recruitment plan

The education department has also made it clear that there are no immediate plans to reissue the advertisement for the vacant posts, deepening the long-pending crisis of sports teachers in government schools

The state government’s decision to withdraw the advertisement for the recruitment of 2,000 physical training instructors (PTIs) has once again left the teaching community and job aspirants disappointed. The education department has also made it clear that there are no immediate plans to reissue the advertisement for the vacant posts, deepening the long-pending crisis of sports teachers in government schools.

A report shows that 38.8% of upper primary government schools lack a physical education teacher altogether, 56.8% rely on teachers of other subjects, while only 4.4% have a dedicated instructor for sports. (Picture only for representational purpose)

The setback comes against the backdrop of 646 sports teachers posts advertised back in 2011 that remain unresolved to this day. According to official figures on the e-Punjab portal, there are 12,819 government primary schools across the state, yet not a single one has a designated physical education teacher. In their absence, school heads and classroom teachers, most of them without formal sports training, continue to shoulder the responsibility of fitness and games.

The Annual Status of Education Report 2024, released by Pratham Foundation in February, painted a grim picture. It revealed that 38.8% of upper primary government schools lack a physical education teacher altogether, 56.8% rely on teachers of other subjects, while only 4.4% have a dedicated instructor for sports.

The state government had earlier promised change. Education minister Harjot Singh Bains had announced that the cabinet had cleared the recruitment of 2,000 PTIs and that advertisements would soon follow. Aspirants had even staged protests in Ludhiana before the bypolls, demanding notification. When the advertisement was finally issued in July this year, hopes soared, only to be dashed within three weeks when the department withdrew it.

Rajji, an applicant from Muktsar, shared her ordeal. “The posts were notified in 2022 but the advertisement was issued this year. All our hopes are gone now. Despite winning medals at national and international levels and meeting all eligibility conditions, we are left hopeless. My father, a daily wage labourer, had to sell our buffaloes to support my training, believing I would get a job on merit. But here I am, without any opportunity.”

Questions have also been raised about the eligibility criteria. Tarsem Singh, who applied when the advertisement for 646 posts was issued in 2011, pointed out, “Many of us are now overage. For the new posts, only those with CPEd or DPEd are eligible, while those with higher qualifications were barred from applying. This makes no sense. Without proper instructors, Punjab will continue to suffer in sports.”

Teachers too expressed concern over the impact on students. Jagjit Singh Mann, district president of the Government Teachers’ Union and head teacher at Government Primary School, Mangli Uchi, Ludhiana, said, “At the primary level, which is crucial for a child’s physical development, there are no sports teachers. Only those teachers who volunteer are training children, but this is no substitute for professional guidance.”

When asked about the plans to advertise the posts again, administrative secretary of school education Anindita Mitra said, “We are required to re-examine the recruitment rules in light of various judicial pronouncements. Only after that can the government make a decision.”