While many government educational institutions in the rural and far-flung areas of Jammu and Kashmir are facing a shortage of teachers, as many as 3,192 schools across the Union Territory have fewer than 10 students or no enrolment at all.
Shockingly, 2,518 teachers have been posted in these near-zero enrolment government schools and are drawing hefty salaries despite having little or no teaching work.
In a written reply to a question by BJP MLA Ranbir Singh Pathania in the Assembly, Education Minister Sakina Itoo shared details of such schools and their staff strength, compiled division-wise.
According to the data, 1,494 schools with 1,934 teachers reported fewer than 10 or zero enrolment since 2022 in the Jammu division, while the Kashmir division reported 1,698 such schools with 584 teachers.
In the Jammu division, Kathua district accounted for the highest number of such schools at 508, followed by Udhampur (188), Rajouri (174), Reasi (161), and Jammu (130). Other districts included Doda (111), Kishtwar (89), Samba (60), Ramban (56) and Poonch (17).
In the Kashmir division, Baramulla topped the list with 396 schools, followed by Shopian (270), Kupwara (228), Anantnag (168), Bandipora (156), Ganderbal (138), Pulwama (102), Budgam (96), Srinagar (90), and Kulgam (54).
On financial implications, the minister also detailed the annual expenditure on salaries and operations for these low-enrolment schools.
1,732 Schools Closed or Merged Due to Low Enrolment
According to the data, 1,732 government schools have been closed or merged across the Union Territory since 2019 due to negligible enrolment.
The highest number of closures or mergers was reported in Jammu district (517), followed by Kathua (238), Samba (125), Doda (113), Poonch (103), Rajouri (98), Udhampur (81), Kishtwar (72), Reasi (61).
In the Kashmir division, Baramulla again topped the chart with 66 closures, followed by Ganderbal (46), Kupwara (44), Shopian (34), Anantnag (32), Bandipora (27), Pulwama (17), Budgam (16), Srinagar (14), and Kulgam (9).
Government to Rationalise Teaching Staff
With over 2,518 teachers posted in schools having zero to 10 enrolment, the government has decided to rationalise the teaching workforce by shifting surplus staff to understaffed schools.
“To address the shortage of teaching staff, surplus teachers are being identified and subsequently deployed to understaffed schools,” the minister said.
She added that the services of Cluster Resource Coordinators (CRCs) are also being utilised to bridge staffing gaps.
“Besides this, subject-specific teachers are being engaged across schools,” she said, adding that efforts are underway to enhance learning outcomes.
“For improved learning, schools are being equipped with smart classroom facilities such as digital boards, audio-visual tools, and interactive technologies to support innovative teaching methods.”
“Well-equipped laboratories, including science and computer labs, are also being provided to promote hands-on learning and practical experiments,” she said.
“To promote physical education, sports facilities are being developed to support the overall growth of students,” she added.
Comments are closed.