Ludhiana: 1 teacher each at 40 government schools

Of 86 government primary schools in Macchiwara block, Ludhiana, 40 schools are running with one teacher each while four others have teachers on deputation.

Of 86 government primary schools in Macchiwara block, Ludhiana, 40 schools are running with one teacher each while four others have teachers on deputation.

With the recent rationalisation and transfer of teachers, several faculty members have opted for stations near their residences. However, in 2013, as many as 34 government schools were running with single teacher and now the number as gone up to 40.

At 40 government primary schools in Macchiwara block, a single teacher is teaching all the subjects including English, Hindi, maths, social studies and science, in defiance of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, which provides for appointment of appropriately trained teachers for every subject.

Sources said, in 86 government schools, there are around 10 schools which have regular teachers and other schools are running by education providers.

A teacher is teaching four students at Government Primary School, Burj Sherpur, Macchiwara, 45-km from here. A visit to the school revealed that the school has one student in Class 1, two students in Class 4 and one in Class 5. Two posts are lying vacant in the school for the past many years and due to scarcity of teachers, none of the parents are interested in sending their ward to the school.

The situation is no different at Government Primary School, Milkowal, as the school has a strength of 23 students and a single teacher is deputed to teach them.

At Government Primary School, Sukhewal, the school has a strength of 15 students and a teacher on deputation is taking the classes at the school.

A teacher, requesting anonymity, said, "Most of government schools in Macchiwara have less strength of students. The higher authorities should provide more teachers to the schools so that we can increase the strength of the school.

Another option, which the government should mull over, is to bring together all the nearby schools so that the level of education can be uplifted. No regular teacher is deputed in the primary schools where contractual teachers, who are getting Rs 7,000 per month, are handling the students."

Talking to Hindustan Times, Punjab education minister Daljit Singh Cheema said, "In Macchiwara block of Ludhiana, we need more teachers as the number of primary schools is more. We are recruiting 5,000 teachers for government schools of Punjab and we will fill the vacant posts in this area on priority basis."