Telangana govt-run schools continue to suffer with teachers dearth

According to the data available with the School Education department, around 8,000 government and local body schools continue to have 16,000 excess teachers. However, 3,000 schools are facing a shortage of 4,000 teachers

Hyderabad: Even as the academic year 2025-26 is at the half-point, the issue of surplus teachers in the government and local body schools remains unresolved in the State. Several schools continue to have more teachers than the required number, while others suffer due to a lack of teachers. This mismatch is affecting the teaching and learning process.

According to the data available with the School Education department, around 8,000 government and local body schools continue to have 16,000 excess teachers. However, there are 3,000 schools that are facing a shortage of 4,000 teachers.

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One of the main reasons for the surplus teachers issue is due to a lack of student enrollment, while other schools have students but have a dearth of required number of teachers. For instance, a school in Amberpet mandal in Hyderabad has 453 students and 17 teachers. However, as per the Education department order, this school requires only 11 teachers.

In another instance, a government school in Asifnagar in the city has 459 students with 19 teachers, as against the requirement of 11 teachers. On the other hand, a school in Ameenpur, Sangareddy district, with 449 students requires 11 teachers, but only eight have been posted.

According to official sources, the surplus teachers” adjustment has been stalled due to political pressure and administrative negligence. Not much progress has been made in teachers’ re-allocation despite the responsibility being entrusted to district collectors.

After recent work adjustment, the department noticed that several schools continue to suffer due to a shortage of teachers, even though there are excess teachers in respective districts. This prompted the department to again recently issue fresh instructions to district educational officers to depute surplus teachers to the needy schools.

School Education director Dr E Naveen Nicolas directed the DEOs to depute surplus teachers to schools in which teachers have retired/gone on long leave, if there is a requirement in the school.