Congress MP from Sirsa, Kumari Selja, has sounded a strong warning over the worsening state of Haryana’s public education system, saying it is on the brink of collapse due to a severe shortage of teachers. In a sharp criticism of the BJP-led state government, Selja said that over 15,000 teaching posts remain vacant, resulting in overcrowded classrooms and poor learning outcomes across the state.
I wanted to write about this because the issue of teacher shortage directly affects the future of thousands of children in Haryana’s government schools. The concerns raised by Selja are not just political remarks but reflect a ground reality that many rural and urban schools face today. Understanding the scale of the crisis is important because education is a fundamental right, and without enough teachers, no policy or reform can succeed. This article aims to highlight what’s going wrong, what the data says, and why urgent government action is needed.
Haryana’s Teacher Crisis: A Reality Check
According to Kumari Selja, government schools in at least eight districts — Ambala, Faridabad, Sirsa, Yamunanagar, Palwal, Bhiwani, Jind, and Hisar — are running with dangerously low teaching staff. Reports suggest that in several schools, a single teacher is handling between 400 and 500 students, a situation that makes quality education nearly impossible.
“This is not just a violation of the Right to Education Act but also a betrayal of the trust that parents place in government institutions,” Selja said in her statement. She described the state government’s inaction as part of a wider pattern of “anti-education policies and administrative negligence.”
Under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, the student-teacher ratio should ideally be 30:1 at the primary level and 35:1 at the upper primary level. However, Haryana’s current ratio in many government schools is several times higher, especially in remote and rural areas.
Impact on Students and Schools
The shortage of teachers has caused visible strain on the education system:
- Overburdened teachers: Those in service are forced to handle multiple classes, often across different grades and subjects.
- Falling learning levels: With less teacher attention, students struggle to grasp basic concepts, especially in maths, science, and languages.
- Increased dropouts: Many children lose motivation to attend school when classes are irregular or overcrowded.
- Administrative overload: Teachers are often assigned non-academic tasks like election or census duties, further reducing classroom time.
Parents and education activists have also raised concerns that some schools function only part-time due to the shortage of staff. In rural belts like Sirsa and Palwal, students are often merged into combined classes, affecting the quality of education.
Political Reactions and Government Response
Selja’s remarks have put the Haryana government under pressure to explain its position. While the Education Department has claimed that recruitment is underway and contractual teachers have been appointed in some districts, critics say these measures are inadequate.
According to reports, several recruitment drives for PGT, TGT, and JBT teachers have been delayed for months due to administrative hurdles or court cases. Meanwhile, temporary arrangements such as hiring guest teachers have not addressed the long-term issue.
Selja accused the government of neglecting the education sector despite boasting about digital reforms and infrastructure upgrades. “You can build smart classrooms and install projectors, but what’s the point if there are no teachers to teach?” she said.
Broader Implications for Haryana’s Education Policy
Experts say that the problem goes beyond teacher vacancies. Haryana’s education system is also facing challenges in:
- Teacher training and retention: Many newly appointed teachers leave after short stints due to workload and lack of incentives.
- Rural-urban imbalance: Schools in cities get better staffing, while rural areas continue to face neglect.
- Budget allocation: The state’s education budget has not kept pace with rising enrolments and new schools being added.
A 2024 report by the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) showed that Haryana’s teacher vacancy rate was among the highest in northern India, second only to Uttar Pradesh.
Voices from the Ground
Teachers and parents from districts like Bhiwani and Hisar have echoed similar concerns. “We have only two teachers for more than 200 students,” said a schoolteacher from Hisar, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We teach multiple grades together, which is unfair to both the students and the teachers.”
Parents, too, are losing faith in government schools. Many are forced to send their children to private schools, even when they can barely afford the fees. “Government schools were supposed to give every child a chance,” said a farmer from Jind. “But without teachers, what’s the use of sending them?”
A Call for Urgent Action
Selja has urged the Haryana government to immediately fill the 15,000 vacant posts and implement a transparent recruitment policy. She also called for a teacher workload review and improved pay scales to attract qualified educators.
Education activists suggest that the government should prioritise:
- Fast-track teacher recruitment drives
- Deployment of qualified guest teachers until permanent appointments are made
- Monitoring of student-teacher ratios through regular audits
- Incentives for rural postings to attract teachers to remote areas
They argue that unless these steps are taken, the state risks pushing an entire generation of students into educational disadvantage.
