RTI reveals skewed teacher, students ratio in govt schools

Vaivasvat Venkat, TNN, Nov 16, 2010,

LUDHIANA: The usual claim of shortage of teachers imparting education in government schools has been proved false after information was sought under Right to Information Act (RTI).

As per the reply of the authority concerned there are a total of 2,373 teachers for 84,002 students in government schools in the district, where as there should be 2,100 teachers according to the norms of one teacher for every 40 students under the Right to Education Act, 2009.

"The major reason for this disparity is political interference in transfers of teachers that has resulted in this disparity contrary to the claims of the government of bringing about education reforms," said RTI activist Rohit Sabharwal.

In the information sought by the activist from the district education officer he had demanded comprehensive information about implementation of the Right to Education Act, 2009 in addition to other related information. The department has given an elaborate detail of the number of students in government schools in every village and the teachers as well.

There are numerous examples of disparity in the number of students and teachers in these villages.

There are three teachers for 622 students in Dhandhari Khurd against the requirement of at least 16 teachers, there are nine teachers for 328 students in the village Dad.

In Mundian Kalan there are four teachers for 482 students against the requirement of at least 13 teachers according to the norms, there are 10 teachers for 346 students in Dakha while there should be at least eight teachers, five teachers for 151 students in Salempur attest the disparity that has many more such examples.

"Department has failed to allocate jobs to teachers properly as per the requirement and the department also says that they are yet to receive the Right to Education Act, 2009 from the department," added Sabharwal.