The alarming scale of vacancies in the School Education Department across the Jammu division presents nothing short of an institutional crisis. A closer look at district-wise data shows a system functioning on skeletal staff, with vacancies in some categories touching nearly 50 percent-an unimaginable scenario for any region striving for educational progress. High Schools and Higher Secondary Schools are running without Headmasters and Principals; ZEOs, ZEPOs, Deputy CEOs and DEPOs are missing from their posts; and almost half of the Lecturer positions lie vacant. This is not simply administrative negligence-it is a slow-motion collapse of an education system that serves lakhs of children, many of whom have no alternative avenues for learning.
Education does not run on buildings, schemes or slogans. It runs on teachers-trained, posted, accountable teachers. Yet, across districts like Udhampur, Reasi, Doda, Kishtwar, Rajouri and Poonch, the shortage is staggering. In some places, nearly half of the Higher Secondary Schools lack a Principal; dozens of High Schools function without Headmasters; and thousands of students attend classes where subject teachers do not exist at all. The absence of lecturers in Mathematics, Science, English and other core subjects has made effective teaching nearly impossible. The consequence is visible in the consistent underperformance of government schools in board examinations. While the privileged urban population can compensate by seeking private tuitions and coaching, the vast majority-especially in rural and far-flung districts-are left to struggle with an education system that has effectively abandoned them. In mountainous and border districts, one Higher Secondary School often caters to students from several villages. When such schools remain without lecturers for Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, English or even general subjects, entire batches lose critical years of learning. This is not merely an administrative lapse-it is the sacrifice of an entire generation’s future.
What makes the crisis even more disheartening is that the Government cannot claim ignorance. The matter was raised in the last Assembly session, yet no meaningful steps were taken to fill posts. In fact, Jammu district has reportedly seen no substantive recruitment since 2016, exposing a level of administrative inertia that borders on indifference. Even the essential Annual Transfer Drive was skipped this year in Jammu and Udhampur, replaced with a vague “Choice of Deployment” exercise that does little to resolve structural shortages. The crisis deepens with each passing month, with further retirement of serving faculty. Equally troubling is the administrative vacuum at the zonal and divisional levels. With over 40 percent of ZEO posts and 57 percent of ZEPO posts vacant, academic supervision, inspections, monitoring, and implementation of schemes have nearly collapsed. Cases such as assigning DDO powers reflect a disorganised and reactive administration, not a system driven by planning or urgency.
The contradiction is stark: on one hand, thousands of educated youths remain unemployed-graduates and postgraduates who have been preparing for Government recruitment for years. On the other hand, the Government is allowing thousands of sanctioned posts to remain unfilled for nearly a decade. With unemployment at an all-time high, leaving these posts vacant is not simply inefficient; it is unjust. If the Government aspires to make J&K an “education hub,” it must first put its own house in order. No state can become an educational centre of excellence when its own schools-especially those in rural areas-are starved of basic teaching staff. Grand infrastructure projects, smart classrooms and digital initiatives mean little without teachers to teach and administrators to lead.
The way forward must be immediate and uncompromising. Fill all leadership positions-ZEOs, ZEPOs, Principals, Headmasters, DEOs-on a priority basis. Consolidate all vacancies of Lecturers, Masters and Teachers and advertise them without delay. Ensure financial and administrative approvals are fast-tracked. Monitor teaching gaps subject-wise and ensure no school is left without teachers in core subjects. Education is not a favour-it is a constitutional responsibility. The continued neglect of staffing in Government schools is a governance failure. This crisis demands immediate resolution-not promises, not committees, but action. The goal must be clear: every post filled, every school staffed-before the next academic session begins.
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