Over 300 Students, Just Two Teachers: Yadgir Schools in Crisis

<p>A government higher primary school in Kakkera town of Surpur taluk in Yadgir district is running with just two permanent teachers for more than 300 students, throwing into sharp relief a deep and district-wide crisis in public school education.</p>
<p>Of the two permanent teachers at the Kakkera government higher primary school, one holds the position of head teacher and the other is a physical education teacher. Neither is a subject teacher for the core academic curriculum. The situation has been made worse by the fact that one of the two is currently on childcare leave, leaving the school almost entirely dependent on guest teachers to conduct regular classes.</p>
<p>Parents have raised serious concerns about how this arrangement is affecting the quality of education their children receive. Many allege that classes are not being held effectively, and some families have already moved their children to other schools, uncertain about when a stable teaching arrangement will be put in place.</p>
<p>The problem runs far deeper than a single school. According to education department figures, Yadgir district has 5,585 sanctioned posts for primary school teachers, but only 2,556 of those posts have been filled. That leaves more than 3,000 vacancies at the primary level alone. The situation in high schools follows a similar pattern, with only 812 of 1,548 sanctioned teacher posts filled, leaving 736 vacancies.</p>
<p>Yadgir Public Education Department Deputy Director Channabasappa Mudhol acknowledged the shortage and said guest teachers were being appointed to ensure schools continued to function in the absence of permanent staff.</p>
<p>Parents at Kakkera school have urged the education department to post permanent, subject-wise teachers at the school and to fill vacant teaching positions across Yadgir district. They stressed that adequate staffing at the primary level is essential for maintaining education quality and for stopping students from drifting away from government schools altogether.</p>