Orissa HC voices concern over vacant school teacher posts, asks govt to submit PTR of all schools
Bhubaneshwar, Aug 11 (UNI) Expressing displeasure over vacancies in teacher posts in government-run schools, the Orissa High Court has directed the State government to furnish Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) for all schools in the State, specifically indicating the existing vacancies and the steps being taken to fill them.
A Single Bench of Justice Dixit Krishna Shripad, while adjudicating a writ petition filed by a teacher challenging a transfer order, took strong exception to the shortage of teachers, observing that “in many schools, the PTR is not maintained, which would enormously affect the quality of instruction and teaching.”
“This Court has been seeing many cases of a similar nature, wherein it is often contended—prima facie with force—that in many schools the Pupil-Teacher Ratio is not maintained, which would seriously impact the quality of education,” Justice Shripad stated in the order.
PTR is an indicator that specifies the number of students for each teacher in a school or educational institution. The lower PTR generally points to more individualized attention and improved learning environment in educational institutions.
The Court noted that the PTR is prescribed under the New Education Policy formulated by the Central Government, after considering multiple factors, since “the future of the nation depends upon the quality of education imparted to growing children.”
“A writ court cannot turn a Nelson’s eye to apparent deficiencies in administration, especially when the right to education has been held by the Apex Court—through a catena of decisions—to form part of Article 21 of the Constitution of India,” the order stated.
In the above circumstances, the Opposite Parties (the school and mass education department is directed to furnish PTR in all the schools in the State as existing on 1 August 2025, specifically mentioning the existing vacancies and the steps that are being taken to fill the same up, the order concluded.
