The emerging situation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Government schools highlights a deeper systemic imbalance where administrative compulsions are increasingly overshadowing academic priorities. The sudden surge in teacher training programmes towards the close of the financial year, coupled with the deputation of teachers as Booth Level Officers, is severely disrupting classroom teaching at a time when students require maximum academic support. While professional development of teachers is undeniably important, the current timing and execution reflect poor planning rather than a student-centric approach.
The period preceding annual examinations is academically critical. It is during these weeks that teachers focus on completing the leftover syllabus, conducting revision classes, and addressing individual student doubts. However, the mass deputation of teachers for back-to-back trainings has left many classrooms unattended, particularly in rural and understaffed schools. In institutions already operating with minimal staff due to non-implementation of pupil-teacher ratio norms, even the absence of one or two teachers can paralyse the entire teaching schedule. The result is clubbed classes, idle students, and compromised learning outcomes. The problem is further aggravated by the existing shortage of teaching staff and administrative vacancies. With nearly 40 ZEO posts lying vacant and over 300 Headmaster posts unfilled in Jammu Division, institutional leadership and monitoring mechanisms remain weak. In such a fragile administrative structure, assigning teachers additional non-teaching responsibilities like BLO duties only worsens the crisis. Teachers, already burdened with academic responsibilities, are now expected to balance election duties and mandatory trainings, stretching the system beyond its functional limits.
There is no dispute that teacher training is essential for improving educational quality and aligning teaching practices with evolving policies like the NEP. However, such training must be planned scientifically and distributed across the academic year. Conducting them in a concentrated manner at the financial year’s end raises concerns that budget utilisation is being prioritised over educational outcomes. In the digital age, authorities must seriously explore structured online training modules conducted periodically throughout the year, ensuring minimum disruption to classroom teaching. The situation demands urgent intervention from higher authorities. The education of children must remain the foremost priority, not financial bookkeeping or administrative convenience. Rational teacher deployment, timely filling of vacant posts, better scheduling of training, and minimising non-academic duties during crucial academic periods are essential reforms. If corrective measures are not taken immediately, the system risks long-term damage to student learning levels.
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