A whopping 78% posts of lecturers and LT Grade assistant teachers are lying vacant in government-run high school and intermediate colleges in the state, reveals records of education department.

“In state’s 2,125 schools and colleges 17,699 posts were lying vacant,” said officials of the department without wanting to be named.

These include 10,768 posts that were to be filled by the LT Grade Teachers’ recruitment Exam-2018 conducted by Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) on July 29, 2018. However, with the arrest of UPPSC examination controller Anju Katiyar by UP STF over alleged leaking of social science and Hindi question papers of this exam, teachers association office bearers and aspirants both believe these recruitment seems to remain stuck at least for the coming few months.

“A large number of youngsters expected to bag jobs as assistant teachers through the LT Grade Teachers Recruitment Exam. However, with the arrest of UPPSC official, most fear the recruitments to get delayed,” said Avanish Pandey, spokesman, Pratiyogi Chatra Sangharsh Samiti, an organisation of competitive students in Prayagraj.

As per records, in government-run high schools and intermediate colleges there are 22,616 posts of lecturers and assistant teachers sanctioned by the government. Out of these just 5000, amounting to 22%, posts are occupied.

Maximum posts are lying vacant in Sitapur and Rampur districts. Here 512 and 501 posts in government schools are respectively vacant.

Similarly, Bulandshahr has 470, Rae Bareli has 465 posts, Banda has 408 posts, Sonbhadra has 430 posts, Hardoi has 390, Mirzapur has 379, Pratapgarh has 372 posts, Saharanpur has 370 posts, Amethi has 366 posts, Bareilly has 361 posts, Bahraich has 360 posts, Lakhimpur Kheri has 342 posts, Barabanki has 335 posts, Ghaziabad has 15 and Aligarh has 303 posts lying vacant.

Other cities where posts are vacant include Agra (192), Varanasi (106), Kanpur city (61) and Kanpur Dehat (84).

The worst affected are Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyay Government Model Schools and Abhinav Vidyalays. The Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyay Schools were opened by the BJP government while the Abhinav Schools were a result of the last SP government’s initiative. Both these schools were opened at the divisional level and were affiliated to CBSE. But both these schools are lacking teachers in large numbers. So much so that teaching here is being managed by attaching teachers from other government schools.

However, despite the shortage, most believe that recruitments would not be possible in coming year to two. This is owing to the fact that while earlier LT Grade Teachers were recruited at the level of joint director (education) of a division on the basis of academic merit. However, during the last SP government’s rule, this responsibility was entrusted to additional director (secondary education).

On behalf of the additional director (secondary education) advertisement for vacant posts was issued on December 26, 2016 and January 26, 2017 and a total of 5.25 lakh aspirants even applied for them. However, with the change in regime, the new state government entrusted the recruitment responsibility to UPPSC and it subsequently got stuck in paper leak controversy. Now if this responsibility is to be handed over to another agency, it would need changes in the recruitment guidelines with due approval of the state Cabinet — a task that could take anywhere from a year to two, said officials.

Speaking on the issue, Suresh Kumar Tripathi, teacher MLC from Allahabad-Jhansi region, said: “The failure of the state government to fill up vacant posts of teachers is sad. By delaying the recruitments, the government-run institutions are being weakened deliberately while recognition to private institutions are being given freely to promote privatization of education in UP.”

Ravi Bhushan, state general secretary, Rajkiya Shikshak Sangh, UP too rued the lack of teachers and said: “The delay is resulting in the present teachers being overloaded with work and handling additional duties. This is also unfair on the students and their parents expecting quality education at these institutions. The government needs to fill all these vacant posts on top priority.”

First Published: Jun 07, 2019 13:17 IST