All 11 lecturers post, 8 vacancies of masters vacant
By: Ahmad Shabir
Anantnag: Painting a grim picture of the education sector in Jammu and Kashmir, the lack of staff including lecturers and masters at Higher Secondary School Mantpora in Dooru area of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district has left the students to lurch at large.
Upgraded as Higher Secondary School in 2019, the educational institute does not have any permanent lecturer to teach higher secondary classes with an enrollment of around 85 students.
A teacher posted at the HSS said that all the eleven sanctioned posts of lecturers for the HSS are lying vacant since its upgradation, thus forcing the students to suffer.
“Though the HSS offers admissions in all the streams including medical, non-medical and arts but not a single lecturer sanctioned for the institution is available to teach,” the teacher said.
Besides, eight sanctioned posts of masters for the higher secondary school are also lying vacant.
“At present, nine teacher grade staffers are working at the HSS out of whom only four are post graduates and rest either graduates or 10+2. It is these four teachers who have to teach the students of both secondary and higher secondary classes,” another teacher said.
The HSS also is headless since it was upgraded and the DDO powers of the institution lie with principals of other institutions from time to time.
“A teacher who is supposed to teach 9th and 10th classes has been asked to look after the school,” the official said.
Ironically, the Higher Secondary School also faces acute shortage of space not only making the students suffer but the teachers as well.
The HSS after being upgraded continues to function from the same old building with eight rooms.
“Out of eight rooms available, one is used as establishment section, another as computer laboratory cum clerical room, and two others as laboratory and principal office. Interestingly another room, the only spacious room which had been designated for Covid management during the second Covid wave continues to remain locked,” the official posted at the HSS said.
The staff posted at the school is left with three rooms only for over 150 students from four classes.
“We are now using principal office as class room for 11th and 12th class students. It is a mockery in the name of education to have three classrooms in a higher secondary with all the three streams,” the official said.
Chief Education Officer (CEO), Anantnag did not respond to repeated calls from this newspaper.
However, an official in the education department while admitting the shortage of staff and space at the institution said that some subject specific teachers have been deputed to the said HSS who will be joining there in a day or two.
