There are 139 post graduate teachers’ (PGT) posts still vacant out of 299 sanctioned posts and 552 posts of trained graduate teachers (TGTs) are vacant out of 761 posts in government senior schools/high schools in Ferozepur Jhirka, as per the information provided Kanwar Pal. (File photo)
Government educational institutes in Haryana’s Ferozepur Jhirka in Mewat district, a Muslim dominated Assembly constituency, are in a sorry state with over 47 per cent of the sanctioned posts of teachers lying vacant here. There are several such government middle schools that have no regular teacher working, the state government revealed Monday.
These glaring figures were revealed by Haryana Education Minister Kanwar Pal in reply to question by Ferozepur Jhirka’s MLA Mamman Khan. The legislator had sought school-wise and category-wise details of teaching staff sanctioned and currently working in the government schools of Ferozepur Jhirka Assembly constituency.
In his reply during the Question Hour, the Education Minister revealed that there are 17 government senior secondary schools, nine government high schools, 107 government middle schools and 180 government primary schools functional in Ferozepur Jhirka Assembly constituency.
In these institutes against a total sanctioned strength of 2,875 — including principals, head masters, post graduate teachers, elementary school head master, trained graduate teacher, head teacher (primary school) and JBT/primary teacher — there are only 1520 posts filled, while 1355 posts are vacant.
Out of 107 government middle schools, there are 37 such schools where not even a single regular teacher’s post is filled against the sanctioned strength of five or seven trained graduate teachers (TGTs). These 37 schools also include 13 schools for girls.
According to the information provided in the House by the Education Minister, there are 139 post graduate teachers’ (PGT) posts still vacant out of 299 sanctioned posts and 552 posts of trained graduate teachers (TGTs) are vacant out of 761 posts in government senior schools/high schools in Ferozepur Jhirka.
The minister said: “Posts of principals in senior secondary schools, headmasters in high schools, elementary school headmasters in middle schools and head teachers in primary schools are promotional posts. Cases for the promotion to these posts have been invited and are likely to be completed in three months”.
Talking about the vacant posts of PGTs and TGTs, the minister added, “These posts are filled up by way of direct recruitment and through promotions. Promotion cases for these categories have already been invited and promotional posts are likely to be filled up within three months. The requisitions for direct categories of PGTs, TGTs and PRTs/ JBTs will be sent to Haryana Staff Selection Commission within two months”.
In another reply to a question asked by Varun Chaudhary, MLA from Mullana Assembly constituency, the Education Minister revealed that from 2013 till 2019, while the state government shut down 124 government primary schools “due to less enrollment of students”, there were barely 40 new government primary schools opened across Haryana during the same period.
Mamman Khan, the MLA of Ferozephur Jhirka, who raised the question in the Vidhan Sabha, later told The Indian Express, “The figures show the kind of shoddy education scenario prevailing in Mewat region. Who will educate our children? In this kind of an environment where schools do not have teachers, how can our children learn and rise at par with the students in other districts or in other states? The government has completely turned a blind eye towards Mewat – be it development or education”.
Haryana’s former Education Minister Geeta Bhukkal said, “Actually, government is totally non-serious on the issue of education. Apparently, the Education Minister does not know that we are having a separate cadre of teachers for Mewat. While we have an existing separate cadre for Mewat, we are still sending teachers there on deputation. More than 47 per cent shortage of teachers is a huge number and when it comes to Mewat, it is even more serious. Special incentives were being given for teachers and doctors to encourage them to work in Mewat. Rather, we were paying Rs. 20,000 to doctors more for working in Mewat. There is a Mewat Development Board. There are Aarohi Model Schools, Kasturba Gandhi schools as well as special commerce and science schools. There was a provision that we shall provide special bus service to the students, especially to the girls to encourage schooling. But, this government did not pursue much on this aspect. Even if the government has failed to construct any new schools, but yet it is their responsibility to maintain educational standards in those schools that are already functional.”