Telengana: New districts boon for teachers

HYDERABAD: Formation of new districts in Telangana has come as blessing for teachers looking for jobs in schools and colleges even as scores of institutes are struggling with staff shortage and vacancies for several years now.
The government declared 21 new districts on Dasara, taking the total number to 31. The reorganisation of new districts was aimed at better administration and effective implementation of government programmes and schemes.
Now, many hopefuls expect the government to take up recruitment of teachers at the earliest. The government had earlier assured that vacant posts would be filled up after rationalisation of government schools and formation of new districts.
According to statistics from the education department, there are 20,250 vacancies in government schools, which include posts for principals, school assistants, physical education teachers, language pundits, secondary grade teachers and aided school teachers.
"As many as 95 per cent government schools in Telangana are functioning without a regular principal. Several schools have just one teacher. In many cases, teachers even take up duties of a principal. The government needs to rectify this situation immediately," said N Narayana, an educationalist.
In junior colleges, there are over 1,200 lecturer posts lying vacant for several years. The state's 402 government junior colleges have a student strength of 1.65 lakh. Degree colleges too have about 3,000 vacant teaching posts.
"There are several unemployed youth who are eagerly waiting for the government to issue a notification to fill up vacant lecturer posts. Now that new districts have been formed, we hope that the government begins recruitments which have been on halt since 2012," said P Madhusudan Reddy, president of Telangana Government Junior Lecturers Association (TGJLA).
Nearly four lakh unemployed graduates with BEd and DEd degrees in hand have been waiting to be recruited for years now. The last notification for filling up of vacant positions in government-run schools was issued in 2009.
The government has entrusted the task of recruiting teachers to Telangana State Public Service Commission.