Srinagar, Mar 27: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday informed the Legislative Assembly that hundreds of lecturer posts remain vacant in Kupwara district, leaving several higher secondary schools—particularly in far-flung areas like Lolab and Machil—dependent on internal arrangements to sustain academic activities.
Replying to a question raised by MLA Kaysar Jamshaid Lone, the government said that while teaching staff in Middle, High and Higher Secondary Schools is being monitored in line with prescribed Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) norms, the availability of subject-specific lecturers continues to remain a concern.
The government informed that as many as 421 lecturer posts are currently lying vacant at the district level, forcing authorities to rely on stop-gap measures such as rationalisation of available staff and deployment of Cluster Resource Coordinators (CRCs) to manage teaching at the higher secondary level. “Certain institutions particularly at the Higher Secondary level are presently being managed through internal arrangements,” the government informed the House.
The government further said that staffing position was under periodic review to ensure minimal academic disruption, especially in remote belts.
Despite the official claim of maintaining PTR norms, the revelation highlights the persistent shortage of teaching staff in rural and border areas, raising concerns about the quality of education being imparted to students in these regions. Meanwhile, in response to a separate query, the minister for education informed the House that several schools in the Banihal-Gool constituency of Ramban district have been upgraded without the sanction of corresponding teaching and non-teaching posts, effectively rendering them “hanging schools.” The minister acknowledged the shortage and said the department was working to address the issue through rationalisation by identifying surplus teachers and deploying them to understaffed institutions to maintain academic standards.
The House was informed that three subject-specific teachers were rehired for Government High School Saibala in Gool during 2025 under the Samagra Shiksha scheme. “Additionally, four CRCs are currently providing teaching support at the higher secondary level in Higher Secondary School Maligam,” the minister informed the House.
The government further said that a proposal for the creation of posts for such “hanging schools,” including those in the Banihal constituency, is under examination in the School Education Department.
“The proposal will be submitted to the Finance Department for concurrence before being placed before the Cabinet for approval,” the minister said. The official figures have pointed out the systemic gaps in staffing and planning in government schools situated in rural areas of Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier, the Director School Education Kashmir (DSEK) Naseer Ahmad Wani said that the department was working out plans to provide adequate staff to the schools in rural areas.
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