SRINAGAR: Only 10 of the 375 government schools in Jammu and Kashmir’s Uri constituency have a pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) exceeding 40, the government has informed the Legislative Assembly.
The School Education Department provided the figures in response to a starred Assembly question raised by MLA Sajjad Shafi regarding an alleged gap in teacher availability in schools across the constituency.
According to the government’s reply, staffing requirements are being addressed through rationalisation and deployment of existing teaching resources to schools with greater requirements.
The department said applications from eligible teachers have already been invited under the Annual Transfer Drive (ATD)-2026. These applications will be considered while taking into account the staffing requirements of schools with comparatively higher pupil-teacher ratios.
The government also said 22 Laboratory Assistants had recently been promoted as teachers, of whom eight have been adjusted in Uri constituency.
In addition, five Masters have been transferred to the constituency to supplement the existing teaching arrangements, particularly in schools where the pupil-teacher load is relatively high.
The department said the pupil-teacher ratio is being managed by providing additional staff to understaffed schools through rationalisation across Jammu and Kashmir, including Uri.
The rationalisation exercise for the current academic year has already been initiated, with the staffing needs of individual schools to be considered as part of the process to achieve a more balanced distribution of teaching personnel.
On the proposal to engage educated local youth, including computer and other skill-based teachers, on a consolidated remuneration or academic-session basis in middle schools, the government said the existing approach was to address staffing shortages through rationalisation and additional deployment.
The detailed enrolment, teacher availability and corresponding pupil-teacher ratio for all 375 government schools in Uri constituency have been placed before the Assembly in Annexure A.
