Teacher Shortage at Historic Lakhimpur School Raises Concerns

Critical Teacher Shortage in Lakhimpur's Historic School

North Lakhimpur, March 3: A historic lower primary school in Dhakuakhana, Lakhimpur, is facing a significant shortage of educators, resulting in an alarming pupil-teacher ratio (PTR).

Founded in 1872, the No.31 Kopohuwa Lower Primary School, located in Jiyamoria village, currently employs just three teachers for its 96 enrolled students.

According to the National Education Policy (NEP 2020) and the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) for the academic year 2023-2024, the ideal PTR should be 30:1, while for schools catering to Grades 3-5, it is recommended to be 13:1.

Clearly, the PTR at No.31 Kopohuwa Lower Primary School is far from meeting these standards.

The institution serves grades I to V, with instruction provided by a headmaster in charge and two assistant teachers.

Among the two teachers, one is a tutor on a contractual basis, assisting with curriculum delivery, while the other two regular teachers are nearing retirement.

Parents and local residents have been advocating for the hiring of additional teachers to address the critical gaps in the teacher-student ratio.

Recently, a demonstration was held by parents and villagers, supported by the school management committee, calling for the immediate recruitment of at least two more teachers who have cleared the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET).

The school management committee has reported that they have made multiple appeals to the Inspector of Schools in Lakhimpur, the Block Elementary Education Officer in Dhakuakhana, and the Lakhimpur District Commissioner regarding this issue, but have yet to receive a favorable response.