True a large number of schools from primary to higher secondary levels have been opened in the State. True that even in rural and far flung areas of the State schools has been opened and the light of education has been brought during seven decades of independence. It is also true that the number of students admitted to the Government schools has been gradually increasing and infrastructure has been expanding. These facts cannot be contradicted. The budget has increased and so have the expenditures. Thousands of people have got appointed as teachers
However, notwithstanding these positive points how come that the pass percentage of Government schools is usually far low in comparison to the results of private schools. Why is it that the merit holders in matriculation and higher secondary level are usually the students from private institutions? These are relevant questions and we are seeking answers to our question from Government education department authorities.
The reason for deterioration in educational standard at school level is a sad and regrettable story. Actually, the things should have been the reverse of it meaning that with so many facilities available, the standard of education and the results should have been highly promising and satisfying. As such the times demand that some introspection is needed to be done by the student community. The primary condition for any school to give satisfactory performance is to ensure that the schools falling under the administrative jurisdiction of educational authorities are well managed and properly taken care of. However, it is disappointing to state that overall condition of the standard of education in our schools is not satisfactory owing to a number of reasons. Just increasing the numbers of school buildings and complexes is not the end of the exercise. The first major shortcoming in our schools especially in rural areas is the shortage of teachers and the helping staff. We have conducted district – wise study of the status of vacant posts of teachers, masters, lecturers, headmaster and CEOs and we have come to know that all together thousands of posts are lying vacant in almost all districts for years at end and there is no movement from the Education Department to fill these vacancies. The shortage of staff especially the teachers, masters and subject wise lecturers in Higher Secondary schools and headmasters in High Schools is affecting the standard of education as well as studies of the students to a great extent. The Education Department is run almost on casual basis as there is no body to hear the woes of students and their parents. We said that the conditions in rural schools are the worst. Doda and Kishtwar are among the backward districts of Jammu region. As per the data, in Doda district 300 posts of lecturers, 500 posts of masters and over 200 posts of teachers are lying vacant. In Kishtwar district, 114 posts of lecturers, 273 posts of masters, 157 posts of RETs , 111 posts of class fourth employees, 57 posts of junior assistants, 38 posts of lab assistants , 19 posts of library assistants, 14 posts of senior assistants, 16 posts of headmasters in general line, 10 posts of headmasters in RMSA are lying vacant. The condition in Poonch, Rajouri, Ramban and Reasi is no better and in fact the condition is worst in Reasi district. How can we make palpable improvement in our educational standards if this shortfall in manpower continues indefinitely? This is a moment of introspection for the Government and the Education Department. Can they devise a mechanism of filling the vacant post as early as possible to avert the loss to the student community?
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