Vijayawada: Schools get makeover, but sans teachers

Vijayawada: Whether it be the Covid impact or the measures taken by the government to improve the conditions in government schools, a clear trend of parents shifting their kids from private to government schools has been noticed during this academic year.

But the big question now is: Can the government schools impart quality education? This question arises since there is no recruitment of either teachers or Vidya volunteers in the government schools to cope with the workload.

Teachers' unions have been demanding the government for immediate recruitment of Vidya volunteers and speeding up the process of recruitment of teachers from the aided schools into the government schools.

In Krishna district alone, 37,000 new admissions were registered this year. By the end of the academic year 2020-21 students' strength in the municipal, zilla parishad, aided and mandal parishad schools was 6.04 lakh.

Now, the students' strength shot up to 6.41 lakh in 2021-22 in the government schools. A total of 2,800 government schools are functioning in Krishna district and around 12,000 teachers are working in these schools.

But, the strength of teachers has been same during the last one year. The existing teachers are struggling to cope with the workload. The workload and pressure are more in about 30 percent schools, where students' strength increased by more than 20 percent.

Compared to the rural areas, the new admissions increased enormously in the urban areas like Vijayawada and other municipal towns.

In Vijayawada, around 9,000 new admissions were recorded in the first three months of this academic year. Last year, about 22,000 students were studying in the VMC schools. Now, the strength increased to over 31,000 students.

Over 850 teachers are working in the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation schools. The teachers' strength is same but about 40 percent students increased in the VMC schools in Vijayawada city.

This increased strength changes the balance of teacher student ratio and it will affect the teaching and quality of education of children.

The State Government is spending crores of rupees for implementation of schemes like Nadu Nedu, Amma Vodi and Jagananna Vidya Kanuka. But it is neglecting the recruitment of Vidya volunteers and teachers, claim teachers' organisations.

So far, the Vidya volunteers' posts are not filled this academic year. The main reason it is said is because the government is planning to recruit the teachers in the government from the aided schools.

The Government is paying salaries to the teachers working in the aided schools. It has decided to fill the teachers posts in the government schools with the teachers, who are working in aided schools.

Krishna district education officer Tahera Sultana said schools in the urban areas urgently need more staff. She has no idea when Vidya volunteers' posts will be filled.

Interestingly, there was no DSC recruitment since 2018. Several hundred teachers retired in the last three years.

Consequently, the education department is eagerly waiting for the transfer of aided schools teaching staff and recruitment of Vidya volunteers in the government schools.