RTI query brings to fore sorry state of affairs in Panchkula govt schools

Express News Service : Mon Sep 20 2010 : PANCHKULA :

From no principals to posts of teachers lying vacant for a long time, reply to an RTI application filed by former chairman of Shivalik Vikas Manch, VK Bansal, has brought to fore the sorry state of affairs in government schools in the district.

The information provided by the office of the district education officer, Panchkula, reveals that of the 30 government senior secondary schools GSSS), three schools, including those in Tikkar-Hills, Hangola and Morni Hills, have been functioning without principals for over a year now. The condition of government high schools is no better as 15 schools have posts of headmasters lying vacant. These include Government High Schools in Baladwala, Bhuri, Charnia, Dhatgoran, Ferozpur, Garhi-Kotaha, Gobindpur, Kheran Wali, Khetpurali, Koti, Paploha; Government Girls High School Raipurrani, Thandog, Tharwa and Manak-Tabra.

While the state government had tried to take stock of the situation and appointed 341 director physical education (DPE) and 1,983 physical training instructors (PTI), the district has not fared any better with about 14 posts of DPE waiting to be filled in various schools, which include senior secondary schools in Bhareli, Khatoli, Paarwala, Mandhna, Morni Hills, Badgodam, Bitna, Kalka, Mallah, Pinjore, Sector 15 Panchkula, Sector 20, Hangola and Toda. Besides these, 46 posts of PTI are lying vacant in about 45 schools in the district.

Bansal said that this severe shortage of staff has affected physical education and sports activities in these schools. He said that the schools in the periphery were full of sports talent waiting to be discovered and tapped and this could be done only when these institutions had proper infrastructure. He also rued that with schools operating without heads, it has affected their overall performance.

He also said that the state government was giving step-motherly treatment to various educational institutions in the district as many posts of teachers of different subjects were lying vacant, which has affected the results in Board examinations. He also urged the government to initiate steps to fill the vacant posts in all the educational institutions immediately so that quality education could be provided to students in the district.