Teacher shortage threatens recognition of 109 Uttar Pradesh schools

Hindustan Times

17-05-2025

The recognition of 109 schools in Uttar Pradesh being run by the state social welfare department, is now at risk. Despite running for several years, these schools have been managed by only one teacher, even when the student numbers remain high. Under such conditions, the schools are failing to meet the norms of state basic education, concede officials.
These schools have already been served two notices from the state government level. Now after the third notice, if recruitment of new teachers or adjustment through the merger of students is not carried out as required, their recognition can be revoked. The highest number of such schools, with 14 currently operating under these conditions in Prayagraj, said officials.
Confirming the development, Sudhir Kumar , deputy director (Social Welfare), Prayagraj said that schools with only one teacher, where recruitment has not been made against the sanctioned posts, have been given the option of adjustment. He added that if these institutions do not comply, a recommendation will be made to cancel their recognition.
The social welfare department in Uttar Pradesh runs approximately 485 schools, primarily for the benefit of students from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Below Poverty Line (BPL) categories. Recognised by the Uttar Pradesh Basic Education Council, these schools—some of which offer residential facilities—are dedicated to providing free education and support to underprivileged children.
Matter discussed in recent meeting
Officials share that recently, the director (Social Welfare) had held a meeting with all the deputy directors and district social welfare officers of the state, in which he specifically enquired about the status of schools running with single teachers.
Officials informed that management committees/controllers of these schools have been served two notices earlier in which they were told to either recruit teachers or else students be admitted to nearest basic education council school and teachers be also adjusted in other schools as part of an adjustment exercise, but these schools did not agree to either option.
Officials stated that the social welfare director has instructed that three notices be issued to such schools across the state, urging them to take appropriate action. If the institutions fail to comply, a recommendation should then be sent to the state government to revoke their recognition.
Order issued
Kumar Prashant, director (social welfare), has issued a directive dated May 6, instructing the concerned district social welfare officers in 29 districts to serve three notices to such schools and take further necessary action accordingly.
These districts include Saharanpur, Meerut, Bareilly, Kanpur Nagar, Prayagraj, Jalaun, Hamirpur, Banda, Varanasi, Ghazipur, Balia, Gorakhpur, Basti, Azamgarh, Deoria, Lucknow, Rae Bareli, Sitapur, Hardoi, Lakhimpur Khiri, Pratapgarh, Firozabad, Maharajganj, Kushinagar, Chandauli, Hathras, Kaushambi, Chitrakoot and Hapur.
The missive, a copy of which is with HT, also contains the list of all such 109 schools along with details of their sanctioned posts of teachers and working teachers including trained and untrained.
As per the officials, there are four schools in the state where there is not even a single trained or regular teacher. Here work is going on with the help of Shiksha Mitras. This includes a primary school in Gauspur Ghuri at Azamgarh, another in Bhikhampur at Deoria, besides one in Mohkampurva and another Hemankheda at Hardoi.
No recruitment of new teachers
Officials say that the school managements of these institutions must advertise the vacant posts for recruitment of teachers, however no advertisements are being given by these schools. In many cases, as soon as the advertisement is released, the matter gets challenged in court on one or the other grounds. To avoid this, the school managements do not issue any recruitment notice.