Published By: Sukanya Nandy
Last Updated: December 06, 2023, 08:52 IST
This is a slight improvement from March, when 9.8 lakh teaching vacancies were reported in schools (Representative image)
As per the education ministry’s data, primary schools are grappling with 7.2 lakh teaching vacancies, while secondary schools face a shortage of 1.2 lakh teachers
The Ministry of Education data revealed that there are currently over 8.4 lakh teaching vacancies in government schools across India. Responding to a parliamentary inquiry, the ministry detailed that these vacancies are spread across both elementary and secondary levels.
As per the ministry’s data, primary schools are grappling with 7.2 lakh teaching vacancies, while secondary schools face a shortage of 1.2 lakh teachers. Although this represents a slight improvement from the figures reported in March, where a parliamentary standing committee highlighted a staggering 9.8 lakh vacancies, the issue is still a critical concern for the nation’s education system.
The states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand collectively account for more than half of the total teaching vacancies at both primary and secondary levels, exacerbating the regional disparities in educational staffing.
Here are the Top 5 States With Primary School Teacher Vacancy:
Bihar – 1,92,097
Uttar Pradesh – 1,43,564
Jharkhand – 75,726
West Bengal – 53,137
Madhya Pradesh – 52,394
Similarly, the same set of states dominates the list of states with the highest number of teaching vacancies at the secondary level.
Here are the Top 5 States With Secondary School Teacher Vacancy:
Bihar – 32,929
Jharkhand – 21,717
Madhya Pradesh – 15,145
Uttar Pradesh – 7,492
West Bengal – 7,378
Bihar, in particular, witnessed a significant increase in vacancies despite a large-scale teacher recruitment drive in October, adding more than 10,000 vacancies compared to the previous year, bringing its total to over 2.25 lakh teaching vacancies. A comprehensive recruitment effort is underway to fill a total of 1,21,370 vacancies for school teacher positions. Initially, the government had officially notified 69,706 vacancies, but this number has been surpassed by the addition of an additional 50,000 vacancies.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra reported zero teacher vacancies at the primary level for the academic year 2023-24, a stark reduction from the more than 18,000 vacancies reported in the previous academic year. Similarly, Odisha reported zero teaching vacancies at the secondary level, building upon its achievement of zero vacancies at the primary level in the previous year. Other states, including Goa, Kerala, Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Sikkim, have also reported zero teaching vacancies at both primary and secondary levels, indicating a more optimistic scenario in these regions.
