The AIADMK is urging the Tamil Nadu School Education Department to fill up teacher vacancies in the state as soon as possible. According to a statement by the party’s General Secretary, K. Palaniswami, there are over 12,000 teaching posts that remain unfilled. While there are plenty of qualified teachers in the state waiting for a posting, Palaniswami stated that many teacher organizations have noted there are also more than 1,000 headmaster posts that remain vacant in Tamil Nadu’s secondary and higher secondary schools.
Due to the shortage of staff, the former Chief Minister claims that 60 students are in each classroom instead of 35-40, making it very difficult for teachers to maintain control and affecting the quality of teaching. Palaniswami questions the status of a committee set up by the DMK government to investigate the huge number of students that did not appear in the board exams (approximately 50,000 students from Class 10 and Class 12). He believes that the DMK government must take immediate action to address the significant number of teacher vacancies in the state as parents are anxious about their children’s studies and future.
It is critical that the Tamil Nadu School Education Department quickly fills the vacant teacher positions to ensure that students receive the education they deserve. With the shortage of available staff, the lockdowns, and the disruptions brought on by the pandemic, stress levels are already high for all involved. It would be counterproductive if students do not receive a quality education due to a shortage of teachers, especially for disadvantaged students, whose education has suffered the most during the COVID-19 pandemic. The right to an appropriate education is a fundamental human right that needs to be protected, and it is the responsibility of the government to ensure that all students can access this right.
