Bhubaneswar: As many as 412 posts of headmasters in schools under ST and SC development department are vacant, school and mass education minister Nityananda Gond informed the assembly on Friday.
ST and SC development department oversees 1,762 schools spread across various districts, with the highest numbers in Mayurbhanj and Koraput (167 each), followed by Rayagada (147), Kandhamal (144), Sundargarh (137) and Nabarangpur (96).
Staff shortage has severely impacted the schools, with 3,690 (31.6%) teaching positions out of the sanctioned 11,676 posts vacant. Also, shortage of non-teaching staff is equally concerning, with 2,059 posts unfilled against the sanctioned 13,169 posts.
The department has received proposals to upgrade 16 tribal residential high schools to higher secondary schools with Plus II courses to extend education for tribal students. Gond, who also holds the ST & SC development portfolio, assured that these proposals would be carefully analysed.
Another challenge facing the department is land encroachment, with 26 schools reporting unauthorised occupation of their property. The minister said revenue authorities were notified to conduct necessary demarcation procedures to address the issue.
“Multiple challenges such as staff shortage and property issues require immediate attention and systematic solutions to ensure quality education for tribal students,” said Anil Pradhan, an education rights activist.