The Tribune: Hoshiarpur: Tuesday, 21 July 2026.
While the Punjab
Government continues to highlight reforms in the education sector, a recent RTI
reply has raised serious questions about the availability of leadership in
government schools. Information obtained under the Right to Information (RTI)
Act has revealed that 70 of the 130 Government Senior Secondary Schools in
Hoshiarpur district are functioning without regular principals.
The information has been made public by Labour Party president Jai Gopal Dhiman, who alleged that the shortage of school heads has weakened the functioning of government schools and affected the quality of education.
According to the data gathered through RTI, more than half of the district’s senior secondary schools do not have a regular principal. In many cases, one principal is holding the charge of two or even three schools, making it difficult to provide academic leadership, supervise teachers and monitor day-to-day administration.
Claiming that the shortage is not limited to the posts of principal, Dhiman alleged that several schools continue to face vacancies of lecturers and teachers, forcing teachers to handle subjects outside their specialisation. “In some schools, Punjabi teachers are teaching Mathematics and Science, while History teachers are taking Hindi classes because of staff shortages,” he claimed.
The RTI reply also points to a similar situation in primary education. According to Dhiman, 19 of the 21 sanctioned Block Primary Education Officer (BPEO) posts in the district are vacant, leaving only two officers to oversee all 21 education blocks.
Dhiman alleged that despite repeated claims of an “education revolution”, the government has failed to fill key posts in schools. He demanded that the Education Department make public the district-wise details of vacant posts and launch a special recruitment drive to fill them without delay.
He further said the growing number of vacancies is one of the reasons many parents are choosing private schools over government institutions.
 |
In many cases, one
principal is holding the charge of two or even three schools. iStock |
The information has been made public by Labour Party president Jai Gopal Dhiman, who alleged that the shortage of school heads has weakened the functioning of government schools and affected the quality of education.
According to the data gathered through RTI, more than half of the district’s senior secondary schools do not have a regular principal. In many cases, one principal is holding the charge of two or even three schools, making it difficult to provide academic leadership, supervise teachers and monitor day-to-day administration.
Claiming that the shortage is not limited to the posts of principal, Dhiman alleged that several schools continue to face vacancies of lecturers and teachers, forcing teachers to handle subjects outside their specialisation. “In some schools, Punjabi teachers are teaching Mathematics and Science, while History teachers are taking Hindi classes because of staff shortages,” he claimed.
The RTI reply also points to a similar situation in primary education. According to Dhiman, 19 of the 21 sanctioned Block Primary Education Officer (BPEO) posts in the district are vacant, leaving only two officers to oversee all 21 education blocks.
Dhiman alleged that despite repeated claims of an “education revolution”, the government has failed to fill key posts in schools. He demanded that the Education Department make public the district-wise details of vacant posts and launch a special recruitment drive to fill them without delay.
He further said the growing number of vacancies is one of the reasons many parents are choosing private schools over government institutions.
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