Shimla – The Directorate of Higher Education in Himachal Pradesh has initiated a significant move to address the issue of surplus teachers in senior secondary government schools. The department has called for detailed reports on registered students and appointed teachers from all District Deputy Directors. On Monday, three orders were issued to assess the student-teacher ratio across the state.
The Directorate has directed detailed information within 15 days on the number of students compared to the number of teachers in state schools. The first order mandates schools to report the number of subject-specific lecturers for classes 11 and 12. Schools must also identify those with a surplus of staff in any subject.
Additionally, the second order requires schools to submit enrollment data for each class by July 31. A third order demands data from schools with zero enrollments, particularly in non-medical and commerce subjects, which may lead to merging these under-enrolled institutions.
There are instances where lecturers are appointed for subjects with nominal or no student enrollment. The Directorate has directed all District Deputy Directors to provide comprehensive information about senior secondary school student admissions and teacher appointments.
This move aims to address the imbalance where some schools have more teachers than students, and others, especially in remote areas, have a shortage of teachers with one teacher managing multiple classes. The rationalization process will ensure that teacher distribution is aligned with student numbers, improving educational quality and resource efficiency across the state.
Schools, particularly in remote regions, face challenges with teachers reluctant to relocate. The Directorate’s orders are a step towards a more balanced and effective educational system. The goal is to ensure a more efficient allocation of teaching resources, thereby improving the quality of education in schools across Himachal Pradesh.
