Himachal Pradesh schools without teachers highlight a concern in the state’s education system. As many as 125 schools in Himachal Pradesh operate without teachers, while over 2,600 schools function with just one. This trend has shown improvement in the past two years, but challenges remain.
“When our government took over in 2022, the number of schools without a teacher was around 350, and 3,400 schools had just a single teacher. Through rationalisation and recruitments, we have managed to significantly reduce the number of such schools,” stated Education Minister Rohit Thakur.
Rationalisation To Address Teacher Shortages
All affected schools fall under the primary and upper primary categories. According to Ashish Kohli, Director of Elementary Education, these schools are being managed temporarily through the deputation of teachers. “We have initiated a rationalisation process. We are identifying schools where we’ve surplus teachers. The extra teachers will be sent to these schools, and that will address the problem to a large extent,” Kohli explained.
The government has also merged or denotified schools with low or zero enrolment to streamline resources. Over the past two years, 1,194 schools have been closed or merged, freeing up hundreds of teachers for redeployment to understaffed schools.
Impact Of School Closures
Education Minister Rohit Thakur addressed concerns about the impact of these closures, emphasizing that students were not significantly affected. “Around 670 students were enrolled in the denotified or merged schools, and over 90% of them have been admitted to adjoining schools. The remaining students, mostly children of migrant laborers, may have relocated,” Thakur noted.
Central agencies like Niti Aayog and the Finance Commission have recommended consolidating educational resources to improve quality. The Himachal Pradesh government has aligned with this approach, which is being adopted by many states across party lines.
A Path Toward Educational Improvement
While the situation of Himachal Pradesh schools without teachers has improved compared to 2022, challenges persist. The rationalisation process and the focus on resource consolidation aim to enhance educational quality and address teacher shortages. These measures are critical for the state’s commitment to delivering quality education, especially in rural and underserved areas.
With continued efforts, the government hopes to further reduce the number of schools operating with inadequate teaching staff and ensure a more robust educational infrastructure for all students.