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As teacher shortage continues children's education is bound to decline

The severe shortage of teachers in each and every school in the Thunukkai educational zone is on the increase and steps have not been taken to make good this dearth. As this essential need is not cared for and the education service is in such a deplorable state a colossal downfall in the education of children is imminent" said the Thunukkai Zonal Director of Education Mr. M. Deivendran. The requisite cadre for the teaching profession for the normal functioning of the 52 schools in the zone is 678. Although there are actually 53 schools in the zone 52 of them are in sessions. The remaining one school is in the town of Alaikallu Poddakulam and it has not yet reopened due to the delay in resettling the people of the area. When this school reopens the required cadre would be greater. According to the present requirement the zone needs not less than 283 teachers. These appointments are long overdue. The highest number required is for the teaching of the English. There are only six teachers of English serving in the zone that needs 94 of them. In the case of Mathematics the zone needs 36 teachers but the available number is only 14.

The required cadre for the teaching of Science is 39 whereas the available for the profession in the zone only 16. Physical education is hardly possible in the zone with only one teacher available when there is need for 17 of them. This is the worst situation one can ever imagine in education. To effect any good progress in the education of the children in this zone is worse than a Herculean task. The schools are unable to have their children prepared to compete at National or even at District level in almost all the special subjects like Maths, Science and English as the professionally qualified specialists teachers are short beyond manageable limit. The Zonal Director Mr. Deivendran is conditionally optimistic about the likelihood of the children in the zone of Thunukkai being able to compete at District level when this colossal shortage of teachers is bridged. While he sounded a note of optimism about the children in the schools of his zone Mr. Deivendran was grievous and disheartened by his authorities especially the Education Ministry that paid no head to several appeals he and the school communities made.

12 January 2004

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