Over 390 GHS Schools suffer in Jammu as Govt stops ‘academic arrangement’

No Lecturer posted in 201 newly upgraded schools

Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Oct 3: The career of thousands of students studying in Government Higher Secondary Schools (GHSS) in Jammu division has been jeopardized as nearly 390 GHS Schools are facing severe shortage of Lecturers after the State Administration abruptly stopped posting of Lecturers under ‘Academic arrangement’ about two months ago, while surprisingly, no Lecturer has been posted in the 201 newly upgraded Higher Secondary Schools since March this year across the State.
Sources in the School Education Department told the ‘Excelsior’ that previous State Governments used to make all the Higher Secondary Schools functional across the State since 1997 by appointing Contractual Lecturers against the vacant posts available in various Higher Secondary Schools as ‘cademic arrangement’ for complete session.
They were being paid a meager amount of Rs 7000 per month as consolidated pay. After long struggle and agitation for about two years, the Government enhanced their pay in March 2018 to Rs 14,000 per month.
But unfortunately, the new State Administration under the Governor, re-engaged Lecturers up to June 30, 2019 for few months and not session; and then gave extension up to August 10, 2019 after the request of many Principals of the Higher Secondary Schools and the respective Chief Education Officers.
Now, for the last about two months, about 390 Higher Secondary Schools are suffering in Jammu region for want of Lecturers and mostly in Science, Maths and English streams. Average 5-6 posts of Lecturers are lying vacant in each Higher Secondary School in the region, which have total strength of 406.
In Jammu city or major towns like Udhampur, Samba and Kathua, most of the GHS Schools have full strength but the schools in semi urban, rural and remote areas are badly affected. Thousands of students have been suffering badly despite the fact that their exams are drawing nearer. The lecturers mostly of the subjects like, Physics, Chemistry, Botany, Zoology, Maths and English are not available in majority of the schools, the sources maintained.
Referring to the staff position in the newly upgraded Higher Secondary Schools after January this year, the sources revealed that since March 2019, no new lecturers were posted in these 201 Higher Secondary Schools across the State. In Jammu region, there are around 100 newly upgraded Higher Secondary Schools. The students have been promoted to Class 11th but no Lecturers were given there till today.
An average 11 Lecturers are needed in each newly upgraded Higher Secondary School but for the last about one month, one Lecturer amongst the newly promoted Masters is being placed in these schools. No contractual staff under academic arrangement was provided in these GHS schools while there was still requirement of about 3380 Lecturers only in Jammu region.
And if, the department claims about promotion of 800 Masters as Lecturers only in Jammu region and their adjustment, even then School Education Department needs nearly 2580 more Lecturers to fill up the vacant vacancies in these Higher Secondary Schools for their smooth functioning, the sources added.
Principal, Govt Higher Secondary, School Budhal, Mohd Shabir, when contacted said that in his school six posts of lecturers in Science and English subjects are lying vacant since August 10, 2019. He said that matter has been brought to the notice of CEO, Rajouri and Director School Education Jammu.
Similarly, according to Principal, GHS School Samote Iqbal Singh, Principal HSS, Khawas, Chaman Lal, Principal GHSS, Kandi – Surjit Kumar, Principal GHSS Peeri in Rajouri, an average 5-6 posts of Lecturers are lying vacant in their Schools. They said in newly upgraded GHS Schools Prodi, Udhan, Narla in Rajouri, all the posts of Lecturers are lying vacant.
Same was the position in all the other districts like Poonch, Reasi, Udhampur, Kathua, Doda or other areas of the region. They claimed that they have requested the placement of Academic arrangement lecturers to the higher officials. They said some times they are facing protests from the students and their family members.
Director, School Education Jammu, Anuradha Gupta when contacted said that she was aware of the matter. The DSE said about 800 Masters were recently promoted as Lecturers in the department and they are being adjusted against those vacant posts after verification of their degrees/documents. She said there is requirement of about 2000 lecturers but this process of adjustment of promotes will be completed shortly, may be by the end of this month.
When asked about the reason behind abrupt termination of ‘Academic arrangement’ of the contractual Lecturers on August 10 and any further plan of the Department to fill up remaining vacant posts of Lecturers after adjustment of 800 promoted Masters, the Director said, ” at present we don’t have any instructions from the top. First of all, we will adjust new promotees for which process is going on then shall take up the issue with the Administrative Department,” the Director maintained.

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