Jharkhand's 103 Government Schools Have No Students; 7,930 Schools Operate with Just One Educator
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Synopsis
The alarming situation in Jharkhand reveals that 103 government schools operate without students, while 7,930 schools have only one teacher. This raises concerns about teacher salaries and the state of education in the region.
Key Takeaways
- 103 schools in Jharkhand with no students.
- 7,930 schools operate with only one teacher.
- Concerns over teacher salaries in empty schools.
- Government initiatives to boost student enrollment.
- Plans to appoint 26,001 assistant professors.
Ranchi, March 4 (NationPress) An astonishing 103 government schools in Jharkhand are functioning without a single student, despite having 17 teachers assigned to these institutions. Furthermore, a total of 7,930 schools in the state operate with merely one teacher each, serving 3,81,455 students overall.
This concerning information was disclosed in the Jharkhand Assembly on Tuesday, where the state government provided these statistics in reply to a query from an MLA.
BJP MLA from Dhanbad, Raj Sinha, raised the matter, indicating that a considerable number of teachers are receiving salaries even though their schools have no students.
“Is it not accurate that there are no students in 199 schools, yet 398 teachers remain employed there?” he challenged.
The lawmaker further highlighted the misuse of several government school buildings—some have been encroached upon by private entities, others transformed into commercial establishments, and some have become hotspots for illegal activities such as alcohol consumption at night.
“Why does the government not close these schools instead of allowing them to decay?” he inquired.
In response to these concerns, Jharkhand Education Minister Ramdas Soren acknowledged the drop in student enrollment and the uneven teacher distribution across the schools.
However, he maintained that merely reallocating teachers from schools without students to those facing shortages would not resolve the issue. “This would further decrease the number of children attending schools. We are concentrating on initiatives like the ‘School Chalo Abhiyan’ to boost student enrollment,” he stated.
As part of this initiative, teachers and students visit the homes of dropouts to motivate them to return to school. “We are making efforts to raise awareness among parents and communities to reintegrate children into the education system,” he added.
Regarding the teacher shortage, Ramdas Soren informed the Assembly that the government is working on appointing 26,001 assistant professors for elementary schools. “Once we receive recommendations from the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC), we will take appropriate steps to ensure a balanced student-teacher ratio in schools,” he mentioned.
