Bhubaneswar: The School and Mass Education department has directed all District Collectors to immediately deploy teachers in single-teacher elementary schools to comply with the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.
In a letter issued to all Collectors, Dr. N. Thirumala Naik, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the department, said recent UDISE data shows a considerable number of government schools in the state are functioning with only one teacher.
He noted that such a situation adversely affects the quality of education and is inconsistent with the norms prescribed under the RTE Act, particularly Sections 19 and 25 read with the Schedule, which mandate the minimum Pupil-Teacher Ratio and number of teachers required in elementary schools.
The department has asked Collectors to review the status of all single-teacher schools in their districts and take urgent steps to deploy or adjust teachers so that every school has at least the minimum number of teachers as per RTE norms. Priority has been directed for schools with higher student enrolment.
The Collectors have been asked to complete the rationalization exercise within a month and submit an Action Taken Report to the department within 15 days of receiving the letter. Calling the matter “Most Urgent”, the department said the step is aimed at ensuring compliance with RTE provisions and improving learning outcomes in government schools across the state.
