Teachers Without Security

Teachers’ Day rings hollow for Kashmir’s lecturers who live between contracts and uncertainty.

- Dr. Masrat Ahmad Mir

I am a teacher in Kashmir, one of nearly 2,700 working on academic arrangement. Every September 5th, schools fill with flowers, speeches, and praise for educators. For us, the day brings an emptiness hard to carry.

I know this because I live inside it.

For years I have walked into classrooms in different degree colleges across the valley, carrying the same energy as any permanent teacher. I have guided young people through history, seen their faces light up with recognition, and watched them build confidence.

The joy lasts as long as the academic session does. Then, one fine morning, the contract ends. The list of names for the next session is uploaded on a government website, and until my name reappears, I stop existing as a teacher.

The months in between are the most punishing. We call them the “gap months.” Salaries stop, responsibilities remain. Rent, school fees, and groceries do not understand administrative calendars.