Karnataka: Farmers’ Union Demands Filling Teacher Vacancies in Govt Schools
Of the 45,431 sanctioned teacher posts in Government Primary Schools, 14,139 remain vacant
Kalaburagi: The Kalaburagi unit of the Karnataka Pranta Raitha Sangha (KPRS) staged a protest on Friday in front of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Instruction, demanding the immediate filling of vacant teaching posts and urgent measures to safeguard government schools in the district.
The protest was led by district president Sharanabasappa Mamashetty. The organisation submitted a memorandum addressed to Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa through the Kalaburagi Division Commissioner of Public Instructions.
Mamashetty said that the education system in Kalyana Karnataka was “collapsing,” leaving children of farmers, labourers, and daily-wage workers at a severe disadvantage due to the lack of quality education.
“Because of the severe shortage of teachers in government schools, children are not receiving proper classes. Rural students are being deprived of education, and schooling has become a burden. One teacher is being forced to handle two to three classes at a time, making it extremely difficult,” Mamashetty said in the memorandum.
The protestors highlighted the acute shortage of teaching staff with official data. Of the 45,431 sanctioned teacher posts in Government Primary Schools, 14,139 remain vacant. Government High Schools face a similar crisis, with 3,495 vacancies out of 11,680 sanctioned posts. Kalaburagi district has 2,078 government schools, including 791 Lower Primary Schools, 989 Higher Primary Schools, and 298 High Schools.
The memorandum noted that even after 78 years of Independence, the government has failed to provide the fundamental right to free and quality education under Article 21-A of the Constitution. It also criticised the growing influence of private institutions, many of which are linked to political families. Additionally, the protestors alleged that more than 25,000 government schools have been shut down or merged under initiatives such as “Magnet Schools” and “KPS Schools,” strengthening the private sector’s dominance.
“If democracy has to survive, government schools must survive. They are the pillars of democracy,” the memorandum stated, urging the government to adopt a uniform education policy that ensures the same quality of schooling for all children, regardless of social or economic background.
The protestors also listed several demands. They called for the introduction of dual-medium CBSE education from LKG to Class 5, along with adequate infrastructure, in all 41,905 government primary schools across Karnataka. They further demanded a residential CBSE school in every Gram Panchayat, modeled on Navodaya institutions, to provide education from Class 6 to 12.