Due to a lack of recruitment since 2019, the government stated on Monday that the School Education Department is currently experiencing a shortage of teaching staff.
Additionally, there is no policy in place for upgrading schools to higher levels.
The government further stated that it is taking steps to ensure proper rationalization in order to improve the Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR).
As reported by the Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Education Minister Sakina Itoo, in response to a question in the legislative assembly, acknowledged the teacher shortage in schools. She explained that the shortage is primarily due to the freeze on teacher recruitment since 2019, as per the SAC decision, which involved converting RETs into Grade-II and Grade-III teachers, resulting in the freezing of General Line Teacher positions.
“However the department is making all out efforts to ease out the situation by way of proper rationalization, engaging CRCs and affecting Promotions of various Cadres to streamline the teaching staff and maintain Pupil Teacher Ratio in the Government schools,” Itoo said.
She further said that all the vacant posts of General Line Teachers have been freezed for utilization for conversion of RReTs to Teacher Grade-II and III vide SAC decision in the year 2018 in order to address the Salary issue of Regularized ReTs.
“As there are no vacancies of Teachers available with the Department of School Education, the financial implications and constraints cannot be calculated. Once the posts of Teachers are de-freezed the requirement of financial resources can be worked out,” the minister said.
About the government educational institutes functioning in Jammu and Kashmir, the minister said that there were a total of 18723 government schools here. “Out of these the Primary Schools are 8943, Middle Schools are 7255, High Schools are 1744 and Higher Secondary Schools are 781.”
Itoo further informed the concerned respondent that the total number of teachers including Cluster Resource Coordinators (CRCs) is 78,271. “Prior to 2019 the department of School Education used to engage Contractual Lecturers but after 2019 no Lecturers are engaged on contractual basis.”
“However the department is engaging Cluster Resource Coordinators (CRCs) since 2023 temporarily on a yearly basis. During the year 2024-2025 (1496) CRCs have been engaged on a monthly Honorarium of Rs 25,000 till 31-03-2025,” she said.
Itoo further said that the department has not been engaging Teachers on Contractual basis. “No schools from Primary to High School Level have been up-graded up to the next higher level during the last two years.”
“No, presently there is no policy with the Government for up-gradation of Schools to next higher levels as the same involves huge financial resources and Infrastructure required to be concurred by the Department of Finance,” the minister said.
She also said that the department of school education was presently focusing on consolidation of human and capital infrastructure of the schools, especially those upgraded already—(KNO)
