Over 15,000 Teaching Posts Vacant in Haryana Government Schools, Minister Informs Assembly

Haryana has 15,659 vacant teaching positions in government schools, representing 13.57 percent of the total 115,325 sanctioned posts, Education Minister Mahipal Dhanda informed the state Assembly on Wednesday.

Responding to a calling-attention motion during the ongoing Budget Session, Dhanda provided details about the current staffing situation in government schools. "Currently, 99,666 teachers are working in Haryana government schools against the total sanctioned strength of 115,325 for 14,295 schools," he stated. This includes 80,640 regular teachers, 11,916 guest teachers, and 7,110 recruited through the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam. 

The minister noted that 13,261 teachers have been recruited over the past five years, indicating ongoing efforts to address the shortage. 

Congress MLAs Raise Concerns 

Congress legislators Ashok Arora, Balwan Singh Daulatpuria, and Mandeep Chatha raised the issue through calling attention motions, describing government schools as being in "a pitiable condition due to a severe shortage of teachers, dilapidated buildings, and lack of basic infrastructure." 

MLA Arora emphasized that many schools lack essential facilities like clean drinking water, proper sanitation, and functional classrooms. "Parents are reluctant to enroll their children in government institutions, leading to declining student numbers. The deteriorating state of the public education system is a matter of grave concern, as it impacts the future of our children," he said. 

Arora called for immediate action to fill teacher vacancies, revitalize infrastructure, and allocate sufficient funds to improve education quality. 

Recruitment Plans Outlined

In response to these concerns, Minister Dhanda detailed the government's plans to address teacher shortages:

• A demand letter to fill 4,780 Post Graduate Teacher (PGT) positions was sent to the Haryana Public Service Commission in July 2024  
• The process of issuing appointment letters for 1,704 PGT posts has begun and will be completed before the next academic session
• Promotion cases have been invited to fill 4,550 vacant PGT promotion quota positions
• A demand letter has been sent to the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam to fill 3,427 PGT and Trained Graduate Teacher (TGT) positions 

Budget Allocation and Infrastructure

The minister stated that the Education Department received a budget allocation of Rs 19,855.92 crore for the current financial year. He provided a breakdown of infrastructure spending:

• Rs 473.44 crore was released for infrastructure development
• Rs 306.84 crore has been sanctioned in the current financial year
• Rs 43.48 crore was sanctioned for drinking water, toilet construction, and other facilities

Dhanda assured the Assembly that basic facilities such as drinking water, separate toilets for boys and girls, and electricity connections are available in all government schools across the state. 

Educational Initiatives and Improved Results 

Highlighting efforts made during the past decade, Dhanda mentioned several initiatives to improve education quality:

• Establishment of 1,420 Government Model Sanskriti Primary Schools  
• Creation of 193 Government Model Sanskriti Senior Secondary Schools
• Development of 250 PM Shri Schools 

The minister pointed to significant improvement in board examination results, noting that Class X pass percentages rose from 33.42% in 2015 to 93.22% in 2024, while Class XII results improved from 52.60% to 84.28% during the same period.