Giving priority on primary and secondary education, the State Government has introduced many schemes including ‘Mo School Abhiyan’ which is a welcome step.

But for quality education and good result along with infrastructure development, good and adequate numbers of teachers are also required. Unfortunately, Sundargarh district cuts a sorry figure on both fronts.

According to sources, though a large number of teachers’ posts are lying vacant in different high schools of the district, the Government has not taken any step to fill the vacancies. Instead, it has been making some hollow assurances. Even out of 208 schools, 85 schools have no headmasters. Sources said while in 17 schools headmaster of OES-II rank is needed to be posted, such headmasters are found only in five schools while the post of headmaster is lying vacant in 12 schools. Similarly, while Senior SES headmasters are required in 191 schools, only 118 schools have such headmaster and the post is vacant lying vacant in 73 schools. To run the school smoothly it is required to have at least one teacher each in PCM and CBZ respectively. But many schools are running without a single PCM teacher or CBZ teacher or both. While 266 PCM teachers are required across the district, there are only 164 PCM teachers. Similarly, while 243 CBZ teachers required, 136 teachers are working and 107 posts of such teacher are lying vacant. That is why on many occasions the arts teachers are forced to take mathematics and science classes in many schools.

From this the quality of education can be well assessed. Even in arts stream while 516 teachers are required, 310 teachers are working. Against a requirement of 42 TI teachers, there only 24 in place and against a need for 43 TM teachers, 28 are working. Similarly, in place of 199 Classical Teachers, 126 are working. Only 70 Hindi teachers are working while 188 of such teachers are needed. There are 123 PETs against 183 sactioned posts.