RTI Reveals Alarming Shortage of Teachers

Government senior secondary schools in city's outer pockets face disparity in teacher distribution

- Priyanka Thakur

CHANDIGARH: While Chandigarh boasts a reputation for quality education, a closer look at the data retrieved from the district education office, through an RTI, reveals a troubling trend in some UT schools—a significant imbalance between the number of students and teachers. This raises questions about the impact on student learning and the overall quality of education.

As per the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) norms, pupil-to-teacher ratio (PTR) should not exceed 30:1 in schools. PTR is the number of students who attend a school, divided by the number of teachers in the institution. For example, a PTR of 10:1 indicates that there are 10 students for every one teacher. Higher the PTR, more the number of students per teacher.

1 PGT for 179 students at GMSSS-Kaimbwala As per the data, it was found that out of 42 government model senior secondary schools in the city, distribution of teachers in them is disproportionate. Mostly, the schools from the city's peripheral areas have a poor PTR (less number of teachers). Among these, GMSSS-Behlana, has a PTR of 92:1, while GMSSS 37-B and GMSSS-Dhanas have 71:1 and 68:1, respectively. Out of the 42 UT schools, 11 institutions have one teacher for more than 50 students.