Jammu, Oct 10: Former minister and senior BJP leader Sukhnandan Choudhary on Saturday criticised the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over the failure of his government to address the shortage of teaching staff in government schools, particularly in the Jammu province.
He warned that the future of thousands of school-going children could not be sacrificed due to the government’s neglect of the education sector.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters, Trikuta Nagar, Jammu, accompanied by BJP media incharge Dr Pardeep Mahotra, BJP Kisan Morcha president Rakesh Pant and former DDC member Balbir Lal, Choudhary expressed serious concern over the shortage of principals, headmasters, lecturers, and subject-specific teachers in government schools.
He demanded that Omar Abdullah immediately take corrective measures to fill the vacant posts or accept responsibility for the deteriorating situation and resign from the position of heading the government in Jammu and Kashmir.
Choudhary said that numerous government schools continued to struggle with a lack of essential teaching staff. He pointed out that several higher secondary schools were functioning without principals or lecturers in important subjects, while high schools were facing shortages of headmasters, mathematics teachers, physical training teachers and other essential staff.
“How can the government talk about educational development when government schools are struggling to provide students with teachers for their subjects? The Chief Minister must answer to the parents whose children are suffering because of these deficiencies. The future of our children cannot be held hostage to administrative apathy,” Choudhary asserted.
Presenting a detailed list of schools facing staff shortages, he highlighted deficiencies in Marh, Chamb, Pallanwala, Chowki Choura, RS Pura, Bishnah, Dablair, and other areas. He said these were not merely administrative shortcomings but serious issues directly affecting students’ access to quality education, academic performance, and future opportunities.
The senior BJP leader further questioned why such glaring vacancies had remained unaddressed despite the importance attached to education in government policies and budgetary allocations.
He called for an immediate assessment of staff requirements in every government school, followed by the time-bound deployment of principals, lecturers and subject teachers according to actual needs.
Choudhary also raised concerns over the possibility that the continuing weaknesses in government schools could benefit certain private educational institutions at the expense of students from ordinary and economically weaker families. He called for a transparent investigation into the reasons behind the persistent staff shortages, stressing that any allegation of deliberate neglect must be examined objectively.
He demanded that the Omar Abdullah-led government move beyond announcements and take concrete action on the ground, ensuring that every government school has the teaching staff necessary to provide students with quality education.
