Jammu, July 12: Education sector in Jammu and Kashmir presents a gloomy picture with as many as 11689 posts of teachers, masters, lecturers and non-teaching positions lying vacant in the department.
Due to unavailability of the teachers in the state, about 39,000 students have dropped out of the schools (mainly at primary level), besides the scarcity of teachers has also affected the results at secondary and higher secondary levels.
These startling facts have been revealed by the ‘Committee of Estimates’ of the legislature in its report presented in during the last Budget session.
As per the report, out of these 11689 posts, 5,548 are vacant in Kashmir province and 6,141 in Jammu region. The vacant posts include those of teachers (including RETs) masters, lecturers, non-teaching and class-IV staff.
The report further says that total number of schools in the state is 10405 with an enrollment of 929071 students. The number of primary schools in the state is 13064, middle schools 7268, high schools 1159, and higher secondary schools 885.
The committee has directed the education department to ensure early filling up of the vacancies either on RET pattern or through SSRB, besides rationalization of posting of the teaching staff at least to minimum requirement in all schools of the state.
Sources said that to save its skin, the education department (Director School Education Jammu, and Director School Education Kashmir) informed the panel that majority of these posts were referred to the SSRB and the recruitment process is on.
It is pertinent to mention that as per 2011 census, the literacy rate in the state is 68 percent with increase of about 13 percent over a period of a decade. Also, as per official sources 39,000 students have dropped out from the schools at primary level in past five years and the high rate of dropout was being attributed to the lack of adequate teaching staff in the schools.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 11 Jul 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 11 Jul 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 12 Jul 2012 00:00:00 IST