SRINAGAR: More than 30 per cent of sanctioned teaching posts are vacant in government schools across the Kupwara constituency, with lecturer posts recording the highest vacancy rate, according to figures placed before the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.
In a reply to a question by MLA Mir Mohammad Fayaz, the minister in charge said 403 posts of lecturers, teachers and masters had been sanctioned for the constituency, of which 280 were currently filled.
Of the 77 sanctioned lecturer posts, 44 are vacant, leaving a vacancy rate of more than 57 per cent. Among teachers, 252 posts have been sanctioned and 204 are in position, leaving 48 vacancies.
The Government said 74 master posts had also been sanctioned, of which 43 remain vacant.
Subject-wise, mathematics has five vacant lecturer posts out of six sanctioned, while English has five vacancies against seven sanctioned posts. Physics has four vacant posts out of seven sanctioned, while Urdu has four vacancies against six sanctioned posts.
On school infrastructure, the Government said 200 schools in the constituency were functioning from government-owned buildings. Two schools were operating from rented premises, while four were functioning from rent-free accommodation.
The School Education Department said it was considering a proposal to upgrade high schools with classes from 1st to 10th, particularly those located in rural and far-flung areas, into higher secondary schools.
The proposed approach, it said, was aimed at addressing limited access to senior secondary education and developing selected institutions as K-12 schools.
However, the department said there was currently no immediate proposal to upgrade primary schools to middle schools or middle schools to high schools.
It said demands for such upgrades would be considered in phases, subject to budgetary availability and other prescribed norms.
