AGARTALA, August 9 (TIWN): Education department minister Tapan Chakraborty on Friday informed the State Assembly that the post of head –master\ mistress in 781 government schools in the state has been lying vacant. Apart from this, the post of subject teacher in 648 schools has also fallen vacant, he addded.

Replying to a question raised by ruling party CPI(M) MLA Samir Deb Sarkar the minister stated that 583 Junior Basic schools, 42 Senior Basic schools, 146 High Schools and 10 Higher Secondary schools   head -master/ mistress post lying vacant.

Not only teaching staff,  in many schools  non – teaching staffs post has also fallen vacant. The minister stated that there are four schools have no head clerk, 111 schools have no upper division clerks, 316 schools have no lower division clerks, 557 schools have no group – D and 79 schools have no night guards. 

It is mentionable here that its matter of conern  over the declining rate of enrolment in schools run by the state government and a growing tendency among guardians to send their wards to private schools including those run by the church.

This shows a growing lack of confidence of guardians in the school education system run by the state government.

More than 200 schools are on the verge of closure due to lack of adequate students. More than 200 schools at the state have student strength of 10 and below while more than 50 schools have five students and less.

Disclosing this, a senior official of the school education department said on condition of anonymity, that mushrooming of private schools, including schools run by the Church, have had an adverse impact on enrolment in government-run schools where the teaching standard and infrastructure are poor.