India’s Unfolding Education Crisis: Government Schools Short Of 1 Million Teachers

Eighteen per cent positions of teachers in government-run primary schools and 15 per cent in secondary schools are vacant nationwide, according to data tabled in the Lok Sabha by the Human Resources Development Minister on 5 December 2016.

Of 6 million teaching positions in government schools nationwide, about 900,000 elementary school teaching positions and 100,000 in secondary school - put together, 1 million - are vacant.These figures represent average vacancies nationwide; some states have filled all posts; in some, more than half are vacant.

Among 36 states and union territories, Jharkhand has the most acute secondary school teacher shortage: 70 per cent (38 per cent at the elementary level). Half of all secondary school teacher posts in Uttar Pradesh are vacant, as are a third in Bihar and Gujarat. Goa, Odisha and Sikkim have no vacant elementary teaching positions.

Assam, Himachal Pradesh and Maharashtra, with 3.9 per cent, 3.9 per cent and 2 two per cent vacant posts, are among larger states closest to having a full complement of secondary school teachers; Mizoram and Sikkim report no vacancies. In general, India's Hindi speaking areas report the highest teaching vacancies.

The reasons for shortage of teachers are lack of regular recruitment, not clearing position, bungled deployment of teachers, lack of specialist teachers for certain subjects, and small schools, which cause available teachers to be thinly spread.

With inputs from IANS