Despite serious efforts, the streamlining of the Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) in government schools has thrown up a major challenge for the School Education Department (SED). Currently, the dearth of teachers at elementary-level schools has left the students at the receiving end as their academics is taking a toll in teacher-deficient schools. Over the years, the SED has been struggling to streamline the PTR in schools, but the adjustment of teachers has become a challenging exercise as most of the primary and middle schools have been rendered teacher-deficient.
This is due to the department shifting teachers from elementary schools and deploying them at secondary and senior secondary schools. schools given the non-availability of subject-specific teachers and lecturers in the schools.While the recruitment process was yet to be completed, the students enrolled in elementary-level schools continued to remain at the receiving end due to the dearth of teachers. Amid the dearth of teachers, the authorities are continuing with the process of deployment and redeployment of teachers in schools. Amid the crises, the teachers are posted on a timetable basis in more than one school to overcome the dearth of teachers. In the Drugmulla zone, a Mathematics teacher posted at Middle School has been deputed to Boys Higher Secondary School Drugmulla to teach mathematics in the “second half”. Such arrangements are being made by the Cluster heads in coordination with the concerned Zonal Education Officers. Director of School Education Kashmir Tasaduq Hussain Mir was not available for his comments on the issue.
