Question : Shortage of Teachers

(a) whether there is acute shortage of teachers in schools under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) in various parts of the country;
(b) if so, the reasons therefor and the reaction of the Government thereto;
(c) the number of teachers of Hindi language appointed in the States including Uttar Pradesh under the SSA during the last two years, State and year-wise;
(d) the number of teachers actually required and the shortage observed in primary and secondary level schools during the above period, State and year-wise; and
(e) the steps taken by the Government for filling up of the vacant posts of teachers along with the targets fixed, if any, in this regard, year-wise?

MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
(SMT. SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.



STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 141 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.07.2015 ASKED
BY SHRI KUNWAR BHARATENDRA AND PROF. RAVINDRA VISHWANATH GAIKWAD HON’BLE MPs REGARDING “SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS”.


(a) to (e) : Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), a centrally sponsored scheme is implemented to support the States/UTs for universalization of elementary education, across the country. A total of 19.78 lakh teacher posts have been sanctioned to ensure the
pupil- teacher ratio, as stipulated in the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, against which 15.59 lakh teacher posts have been filled up, as on 31st March, 2015.

The recruitment of teachers is in the domain of State Governments/UTs. The reasons for shortage of teachers as reported by State Governments/UTs include, inter alia, procedural delays in teacher recruitment processes, non-availability of professionally qualified persons and sufficient number of candidates not qualifying the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) conducted by the appropriate governments.

At the primary level, there is no designated language teacher. At upper primary level, SSA provides for three teachers, including one language teacher. The number of language teachers at upper primary level, sanctioned during the last two years, State-wise, is at Annexure I.

The number of teachers sanctioned and the shortage, at primary and secondary levels schools, State-wise, is at Annexure-II.

Central government continuously pursues and takes up the issue of filling up of vacant teacher positions with the respective State government/UTs, which have the primary responsibility to fill up the posts.

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