Shortage of 41,000 Teachers in Haryana Schools: Leader Makes Major Revelation

Questioning Haryana's education system, INLD leader Sampat Singh stated that children from rural families are being forced to attend private schools due to the state government's policies.

Sampat Singh, National Patron of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and former Finance Minister of Haryana, has leveled serious allegations against the state government. He claims that the BJP government is deliberately weakening the state's education system. During a press conference, he targeted the government and presented data raising questions regarding the recruitment and appointment of government teachers. According to him, the stagnation of the education system is compelling children from rural families to opt for private schools. Furthermore, teachers are being assigned tasks like BLO (Booth Level Officer) duties instead of teaching, causing the standard of education in schools to plummet rapidly.

34 Percent of Teaching Posts Vacant

According to Singh, out of more than 1.22 lakh sanctioned posts in secondary and senior secondary schools, 34 percent—or 40,971 posts—are lying vacant. Meanwhile, the recruitment of primary school teachers has been at a standstill since 2014. He alleged that the government is deliberately trying to stall these recruitments by repeatedly altering the rules. He cited the example of the AMO recruitment, where the results were revised for the fourth time following High Court directives.

Colleges Also in Crisis Alongside Schools

According to Sampat Singh, the state's higher education sector is in crisis alongside its schools. In the state's 186 government colleges, 60 percent of Assistant Professor posts are vacant. Many colleges are operating out of community centers (dharamshalas), tin sheds, or dilapidated buildings, and student enrollment in government colleges has dropped to just 29 percent. Fifty-three colleges have fewer than 50 students remaining, while in some colleges, the student count has dropped to single digits.

The 'Recruitment-Blocking Gang' is Working for the Government

Singh also stated that the government always holds the opposition responsible by citing the 'recruitment-blocking gang' as an excuse; in reality, however, this gang works for the government itself. Meanwhile, over the past 12 years, more than 5,000 primary schools have either been shut down or merged with other schools. Approximately 6,000 pre-primary schools are currently being run in community centers (*chaupals*) and old-age homes.