In the absence of all four teachers for major subjects in the arts group for over a year at the Government Higher Secondary School, Devarmalai in Bargur Hills, Erode district, the future of 25 students in class 12, who are to face their board examinations next year, remains bleak.
The school, started as a primary school in 1963, was upgraded as an elementary school in 2002, a high school in 2011 and a higher secondary school in 2016. Currently, 380 students study from classes 6 to 12 in the school. Based on a request from parents, an arts group was started in 2022 and 35 students joined class 11. However, teachers for commerce, accountancy, economics and history, were not posted and B.T. Assistant teachers, who were handling classes 6 to 10 handled classes for the arts group for a year.
The posts of teachers for commerce, accountancy and economics have not been sanctioned by the School Education Department and teachers for mathematics and social Sciences, have only been posted on deputation. The posts of two science teachers are vacant, while a teacher has been posted on a temporary basis for Tamil. Also, as against the sanctioned strength of nine teachers for classes 6 to 10, there are only three teachers available.
“Based on the assurance from the school, we admitted our children last year. But, all the four teachers to handle major subjects have not yet been posted, while the school is also without a headmaster for the past six months,” said a parent, speaking on condition of anonymity. She said that the strength of students had dropped from 35 in class 11 to 25 in class 12 in the current academic year, and asked for teachers to be posted at the earliest.
Parents also expressed concerns over the delay in appointing teachers as students are to face board examination in another eight months.
Chief Educational Officer J.A. Kulandairajan told The Hindu that the school was asked to appoint temporary teachers or teachers through Parents Teachers Association (PTA) or School Management Committee (SMC). “Appointing of a headmaster or headmistress is in the works,” he said. The CEO said that after the school gets a head, his or her recommendation to sanction the teachers post would be sent to the department for approval.
