EPS flays govt over vacancies of over 12K teacher posts

CHENNAI: Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami criticised the DMK government for preparing for the academic year with more than 12,000 vacant posts of teachers in government middle, high and higher secondary schools. He demanded the government to fill the vacant posts on war footing measures to ensure quality education to the students community.

School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh had announced that the schools for the academic year would be opened on June 7. In this circumstance, around 670 government higher secondary schools and 435 high schools do not have head masters. Apart from this, several hundreds of teachers’ posts are lying vacant in government middle schools, said EPS citing media reports.

The AIADMK General Secretary, in a statement, pointed out the government school teachers associations have flagged that around 12,000 posts in middle, high and higher secondary schools are vacant in the State.

The government fixed students-teacher ratio of 35 to 40 students per teacher has not been maintained due to the shortage of teachers. The ratio has gone upto 60:1, posing a serious challenge to teachers to manage the class, said EPS and continued his sneering attack on M K Stalin’s government for not filling the vacant posts even after two years in the office.

Recalling the 50,000 odd absentees in board examination, EPS continued the tirade and said, “Stop blaming the previous regime even after two years in power and take necessary measures to fill the vacant posts at the earliest.”

He also demanded the government not to postpone the counselling for transfer teachers anymore and insisted the authorities follow a rational method to ensure even distribution of teachers to manage the shortage of teachers in the government schools.