Srinagar, Oct 3: Two government primary schools in Uri constituency of Baramulla district continue to exist on official records despite having neither a single student nor a teacher, even as several schools in the constituency face severe teacher shortages with pupil-teacher ratios (PTRs) soaring as high as 60:1.
The contrasting picture has emerged from official data of the School Education Department (SED) presented during the recently concluded Autumn Session of the J&K Legislative Assembly.
Out of 375 government schools in Uri constituency, Boys Primary School GhatiChoolenKalsan and Primary School Khalabhat have zero enrolment and zero teachers.
Despite having no students or teaching staff, both continue to figure as separate schools in government records.
Over the years, the government has merged or officially closed more than 4000 government schools for having meagre or zero enrolment.
The same official data shows that while some schools have no students, others are struggling to cope with disproportionately high Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR).
Primary School Dara tops the list, with 120 students and only two teachers with a PTR of 60. Higher Secondary School Sultandakhi follows with 441 students and eight teachers with a PTR of 55.
Primary School Gujjar Nalla has 100 students against two teachers with a PTR of 50, while Boys Primary School NaikMohallaSalamabadDachana has 146 students and only three teachers with a PTR of 49.
Other schools with high pupil-teacher ratios include Primary School Kalsee, with 91 students and two teachers (PTR 46), and Middle School Nawa, with 86 students and two teachers (PTR 43).
As per the government figures, only 10 of the 375 schools in the constituency have a PTR above 40.
On the other hand, several schools have extremely low enrolment.
Primary School Tula Wari has one student and one teacher, while Primary School KakrooMohallaNambla has two students and one teacher.
Primary School Sokdhani has four students and one teacher, while Primary School Pakhlan has four students and two teachers.
Girls Primary School KanderwanMohura has four students and two teachers.
Primary School LaribalNambla has five students and one teacher, while Primary School Marthan has six students and one teacher.
The disproportionate PTR is also visible in other government schools as well.
Primary School NaribalNambla has five students and one teacher, while Primary School GafoorBasti has 16 students and three teachers.
Girls Primary School Balkote has 26 students and one teacher, while Primary School Upper LataymarGarkote has 42 students and two teachers.
Primary School JamiaMuhalla Limber has 20 students and one teacher, Primary School Donawali has 28 students and one teacher, while Primary School Panunag in Jhulla Zone has 56 students and two teachers.
The government figures have punctured the government claims of strengthening elementary level schools and rationalisation of teaching staff, particularly in the far-flung areas of the constituency.
In the recently concluded autumn session of Legislative Assembly, the government claimed that staffing requirements of schools with relatively higher PTR was being addressed through rationalisation and judicious deployment of available teaching resources.
This was revealed in a reply to a question raised MLA Uri Dr. SajjadShafi.
Minister for Education, Sakina Itoo said that applications from eligible teachers have already been invited under the Annual Transfer Drive (ATD)-2026, with staffing requirements of schools having higher pupil-teacher loads to be considered during the process.
The government further stated that 22 Laboratory Assistants have recently been promoted as Teachers, of whom eight have been adjusted in Uri constituency.
In addition, five Masters have been transferred to Uri, with the government saying the move is aimed at supplementing existing arrangements, particularly in schools where the pupil-teacher load is relatively high.
The government said the rationalisation exercise for the current academic year has also been initiated to address identified gaps in teacher availability.
It further stated that additional staff, including computer and skill-based teachers, are being provided to understaffed schools on a consolidated-remuneration basis.
Talking to Greater Kashmir, MLA Uri said the schools in his constituency are facing acute dearth of teachers. “The department is running the schools on internal arrangements. The education department shifts teachers from primary and middle school to higher secondary schools, which affects the performance and academic standards of elementary level schools,” said MLA Uri.
He said that lecturers must be posted in very hard zones of Uri constituency once in their service tenure which will address the problem of inadequate teachers.
“It should be done on a rotation basis and young people should be posted in these areas for one or two years,” he said.
MLA Uri said he has raised the issue number of times with the government but the schools are still facing dearth of staff.
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