More than 2,200 government-run elementary schools in the state are operating with just one teacher each, Education Minister Ranoj Pegu informed the assembly. The shortage of teachers extends to secondary schools, particularly in science and arts subjects.
According to the minister’s written response to Independent MLA Akhil Gogoi, there are currently 2,295 single-teacher elementary schools in the state. Additionally, three elementary schools are functioning without any teachers. In several schools, each class is handled by only one teacher.
Teacher Shortage Across Schools
- 2,270 elementary schools have five teachers for five classes (excluding the headmaster).
- 1,399 elementary schools have six teachers for six classes.
- 12,112 elementary schools have separate classrooms for different grades.
- 21,961 elementary schools lack separate classrooms for different grades.
- 7,014 elementary schools do not have a permanent headmaster.
Vacant Teaching Positions Across Various Levels
Teacher shortages extend beyond elementary schools, affecting upper primary, secondary, and higher secondary schools. The current vacancies include:
- Upper Primary Schools:
- 571 vacant posts for science teachers
- 526 vacant posts for Hindi teachers
- High Schools (General Area Districts):
- 4,368 vacant posts for science teachers
- 5,185 vacant posts for arts teachers
- 1,004 vacant posts for Hindi teachers
- Higher Secondary Schools (General Area Districts):
- 71 vacant posts for mathematics teachers
- 121 vacant posts for English teachers
- 13 vacant posts for Hindi teachers
- High Schools (Sixth-Schedule Area Districts):
- 317 vacant posts for science teachers
- 322 vacant posts for arts teachers
- 246 vacant posts for Hindi teachers
- Higher Secondary Schools (Sixth-Schedule Area Districts):
- 39 vacant posts for mathematics teachers
- 49 vacant posts for English teachers
- 58 vacant posts for Hindi teachers
Impact on Education and the Way Forward
The state has a total of 44,564 government and provincialized schools as of the 2023-24 academic year. The severe teacher shortage in elementary and secondary schools is a major challenge, affecting student learning outcomes and overall education quality. Addressing these vacancies with timely recruitment and infrastructure improvements is crucial to strengthening the public education system.
