173 posts of master cadre vacant in government schools

Nikhila Pant Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, January 20

Education seems to have taken a backseat in government schools of the district, considering the shortage of staff in these institutions. These vacancies include a large number of vacant posts for master cadre teachers.

If your child is studying in a government school in the district and you dream that he may grow up to become an engineer, your dreams may have to wait.

The highest number of vacant posts, 58, is that of science masters.

Mathematics is another jinxed subject. Not only the students afraid of the subjects, it seems the government also shies away from recruiting mathematics teachers as 48 posts of teachers of the subject are lying vacant in government schools of the district.

The national school games held over the past few years vouch for the fact that not a large number of students of government schools of Bathinda make it to the state teams. The primary reason behind this may be the shortage of DP Ed teachers. As many as 28 posts are lying vacant at government schools.

In addition to these, 24 posts of social science master cadre teachers, six posts of Hindi teachers, five posts of home science teachers, three posts of Punjabi teachers and one post of English teacher has been lying vacant.

“We demand that posts for mathematics teachers must be created in elementary and high schools in the state government schools. It is a pity that till Class VIII, students are taught mathematics by teachers of other subjects. When we start teaching students in Class IX, we have to begin by teaching them basics such as multiplication and division. In such a condition, one can guess the level of education, which is being provided to students,” said Sukhdev Mittal, mathematics teacher of Government Senior Secondary School, Deon.

In a bid to take up the issue of the vacant posts in the schools, the District Education Department has now directed the school heads to check the vacant posts in their schools and then submit the details with the department.

The schools have also been told that in case the revised vacancy lists are not sent to the department, the data with the department will be taken to be right. The schools have to include the posts which will become vacant due to retirement by January 31.