Ludhiana: Fill vacant posts of teachers, principals, say teachers’ unions

Teachers’ associations on Friday urged the education department to immediately fill over 200 vacant posts of teachers and over 45 posts of principals in Ludhiana district.

Pointing out that nearly 800 posts of principal and 4,000 teachers had fallen vacant across the state, the associations also sought promotion of teachers as principals. “The absence of leadership is adversely affecting the quality of education in many schools where one or two teachers are running all the institutions,” they stated.

According to Daljit Singh, district president of Teachers’ Democratic Front, one teacher is assigned to schools with more than 300 students and physical education teachers are assigned only if the students are 1,500 or more. “These policies discourage parents from enrolling their children in government schools. When parents visit, the first thing they notice is the absence of principals and teachers,” he said. He added that even larger institutions such as High schools for boys and girls in Machhiwara remain without principals.Principals of nearby schools are reluctant to take over, fearing increased workload.

Dharamjeet Singh Dhillon, state finance secretary and district president of the Lecturer Cadre Union, pointed out that many teachers recruited in 1999 have not been promoted even once. “Without school heads, financial and administrative decisions are delayed. Temporary promotions are essential for teaching staff, just as they are for non-teaching staff. If principals are not available, teachers should be promoted to senior teachers or vice principals to ensure smooth functioning,” he stressed. He added that schools with more than 700 students, such as those in Dehlon and Chonta, are struggling without principals , with a single principal overseeing up to 12 schools.

Acknowledging the problem, Director General of School Education (DGSE) Vinay Bublani said that 10,000 vacancies are being filled. “The process to appoint directors across the state is underway,” he added.