K-12 School Education News | Stay Updated with Edinbox

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education has exhorted the Education Department to recruit the 10 lakh teaching positions vacant in the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)-funded schools of different States.

Close to 7.5 lakh posts are present in the primary and elementary stages of these National Education Mission schools.

The Committee, which is headed by MP Digvijaya Singh and includes 31 Lok Sabha MPs and 10 Rajya Sabha MPs, presented its report to the Lower House on August 8 and to the Upper House on the same day.

This is the 368th report of the committee and is on the subject, "The functioning of National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) and initiatives taken to support training of teachers in light of NEP 2020's thrust on Capacity Building of Teachers."

There was no enhancement of filling up of vacancy posts in these SSA-financed schools of the state Governments notwithstanding repeated suggestions by the Committee in its 349th and 363rd Reports to fill them within time, the Committee noted.

The vacancy position "is increasing day by day due to retirement of teachers and due to lack of a permanent recruitment policy."

The panel thus advised the Education Department "to take up the issue of teacher vacancies in SSA-funded schools of the State Governments forcefully." The teachers' salary component of SSA funds of the States that fail to implement the directions of the Department to fill up the vacancies may be put in abeyance until the respective States act as per the directives of the Centre, it further added.

Among 14.8 lakh schools, only approximately 3,000 schools are governed by the Government of India. "In this regard, the Committee is forced to observe that the percentage of vacancies in the Government of India-governed schools such as Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs), Navodaya Vidyalayas (NVs) etc., are also critical. There are total 30% to 50% vacancies in KVs and NVs also," it added.

It has set a deadline of March 31, 2026, to fill regular/permanent teachers here and provide information to the committee.

The Committee demanded an end to contractual appointments in the KVs, NVs as well as SSA-financed schools saying they go against Constitutional provision of reservation in Government jobs to SC, ST, OBC, PwD and EWS categories.

A government school teacher has been arrested by the police in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain district on charges of ripping and burning photos of Bharat Mata and Hindu gods and goddesses. He is also said to have forced Hindu students to read the Quran and learn how to perform Namaz.

A case was filed under BNS Sections 298 and 351(3) -- relating to desecrating a place of worship or items revered by a specific religious community and criminal intimidation -- at Jharda police station in Ujjain on Wednesday, and the accused teacher Shaqil Mohammad Nagori was arrested by the police.

The case was filed on the complaint of Nagpura village resident Rohit Rathore, whose cousin Anurag Rathore is a Class VI student in the government secondary school in Nagpura, where the accused is a teacher.

The complainant said his cousin informed him in the morning on Wednesday that the said teacher, Shaqil Mohammad Nagori, tore and set ablaze photographs of Bharat Mata and Hindu deities in front of school children on July 11.

"A picture of Bharat Mata was half burnt in front of the school when I reached school on Wednesday," the complaint claimed in the complaint.

The complainant also claimed that his cousin and other Hindu students at the said government school have informed him that the Muslim teacher routinely asks them to read the Quran and learn how to perform Namaz.

The school kids informed the complainant that the teacher had threatened to kill them if they publicized the issue (tearing and setting on fire pictures of Bharat Mata, Hindu deities).

While assuring the development, another SP (ASP-Ujjain) Mayur Khandelwal stated, "A case has been registered on the complaint and the concerned teacher has been taken into custody." 

Meanwhile, according to the latest reports, the concerned teacher has been suspended by the Ujjain district education officer, in the wake of the incident.

The incident first gained public notice, police sources say, when a 14-year-old boy, a ninth-standard student, phoned his parents at 8 pm on July 10 and complained that he and his friend were beaten and stripped by two friends. They became afraid of further torment and escaped the school campus and went to Pune and arrived there at around 1:30 pm.

In a chilling turn of events, a chilling incident of ragging has surfaced at an elite school in Panchgani, near the well-known hill station of Mahabaleshwar in Satara district.

Two minor boys from the same class stand accused of brutally ill-treating and humiliating two younger students, with reports indicating that one of the children was stripped by his classmates against his will.

The police sources informed that the case initially came to light when a 14-year-old student of the ninth standard phoned his parents at 8 pm on July 10, stating that he and his friend were attacked and undressed by two of his classmates. Terrified of being further assaulted, the boys ran out of school and went to Pune, arriving there around 1:30 pm.

Subsequent inquiries found that the same child had also suffered similar episodes on June 23 and July 6, when he was stripped and ridiculed in front of his fellow students. The child explained being threatened and assaulted throughout these incidents, leading his parents to report the incident to Panchgani police.

After the complaint, officials took statements from the parents of the minor students involved and sent the case to the juvenile court in Satara for investigation. The incident caused a shockwave across the educational fraternity, causing serious concern with regard to ragging among minor students in elite educational institutions.

Famous students who studied in Panchgani

Panchgani, a hill town famous for its renowned schools that have children from across India, is now in the limelight for alleged student safety and discipline problems. While incidents in recent times have sent alarm bells ringing, people are now wondering whether legal action will be initiated against the minors. This incident goes on to prove how necessary it is to put an end to ragging and make schools a safe place for all.

Some of the most famous people have attended school in Panchgani. They include Queen legend Freddie Mercury, actresses Kajol, Zeenat Aman, Nutan, Twinkle Khanna, Kim Sharma, Prachi Desai, and Rinke Khanna. Other famous names are Miss World 1966 Reita Faria, Protima Bedi, classically trained dancer, filmmaker Saahil Prem, Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker, and Lieutenant General Victory Rana.

Within hours of Tamil Nadu's Director of School Education releasing a circular that ordered that seating in classrooms can take the shape of a semi-circle, similar to the Tamil letter Pa ( ), the directive was suspended after it caused a tidal wave of criticism, particularly on social media, by educationists, health professionals, and political parties.

The seating arrangement was intended to eliminate the stigma of ‘backbenchers’ and promote equality among students.

The circular issued by S Kannappan, Director of School Education, stated, "Engagement begins with arrangement, the 'Pa' shape opens the floor for open minds." It stated the arrangement would improve interaction, provide all students with a clear vision of blackboard and teacher, and enable teachers to observe all the students effectively, apart from ensuring students' comfort.

But the plan sent shockwaves immediately regarding its feasibility and impact on health with most wondering if there were any consultations with the stakeholders involved before the issuance of the guidelines.

New arrangement may impact children's health

"Students on the sides will have to rotate their necks for hours, five days a week. It can cause 50% of students to suffer from serious neck-related problems, and 15% could have very serious problems," a neurosurgeon wrote on X.

He also alerted us to visual stress, particularly for glasses-wearing students who would be asked to peer through the periphery of their lenses instead of the optic center, resulting in additional eye strain and headaches. The Director of School Education circular had instructed all Chief Educational Officers in all the districts to provide the new seating configuration in all the classrooms, considering the student strength and class sizes.

While the new arrangement was to be put in place based on the size of each class according to the circular, most noted that government schools and government-aided schools have longer rooms, as opposed to broad rooms that would be required to support seating structures in 'Pa' shape. Furthermore, a class with a large number of students will experience hardship even with the new arrangement.

The idea of the move was inspired after a few schools in Kerala voluntarily followed such seating patterns on their own, following the Malayalam film Sthanarthi Sreekuttan.

Responding to the move, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami criticized the state government for pinching ideas from movies without any scientific study. "Stop playing with students' health for publicity," he tweeted on X. BJP state secretary SG Suryah also criticized the move. The director told TNIE that the circular has been suspended. "Following health issues raised, we are debating whether to apply it or not. A decision will be made after thorough discussions next week," he added.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Wednesday carried out surprise checks in 10 schools spread over five states and one Union Territory — Assam, Delhi, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Odisha.

For proper inspections of the schools, 10 inspection teams — a CBSE officer leading one and a principal of an affiliated school — carried out the inspections in co-ordination.

The inspections were to check for adherence to CBSE bye-laws, academic and physical infrastructure, and whether schools were not admitting non-attending students.

Assam

International School, Guwahati – Opposite Radiant Motors, Kali Mandir Path, Nalapara Road, Sarusajai

Spring Dale International School – By Lane 3, Sonkuchi Path, Beharbari Charali, NH 37

Delhi

Rajindra Public School – Nihal Vihar, Nangloi

Karnataka

Shri Ram Global School, Whitefield – Sy No. 7 & 8, Samethanahalli Naganayakanakote

Madhya Pradesh

Sanskar Public School – Village & Post Naugaon

Kiddy's Corner Hr Sec School – Shivpuri Road, Gwalior

Maharashtra

Aditya English Medium School – Sr. No. 70, Dhankude Nagar, Baner, Pune – 411045

Delhi World Public School – Plot No. 7A/7B, Sector-12, Opp. Poonam Tower, Nerul (West)

Crimson Anisha Global School – S. No. 13/1/1, Kadnagar Undri, Pune

Odisha

Jupiter Public School – Gangapada, Khurda, Pin Code: 752054

The CBSE, while issuing a statement after the inspections, stated that the inspection committee reports would be examined and action taken as appropriate if the case so required.

"CBSE is dedicated to maintaining the standards of education and will keep taking strong action against any breach of its norms," the Board has stated.

There is tension in Colaba following the closure of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) municipal school at N A Sawant Marg and shifting students to online education, citing substandard infrastructure. Parents, students, and local leaders protested on Monday, calling for an urgent substitute for on-campus learning.

Both the school buildings have been termed unsafe, as per BMC's School Infrastructure Cell. 1,500 of the 2,800 students are still in online mode, but the others have no facilities for classes. Parents complain the decision is unjust, especially for poor children who do not have proper devices, space, and supervision for online learning.

"This is not possible for our children. How can students from humble backgrounds learn at home in the absence of facilities? Several of them are already losing interest and drifting out," said ex-BJP corporator from Colaba, Makarand Narwekar. He further stated that parents would protest outside the BMC headquarters if the alternative space is not arranged in two days' time.\

Parents were also frustrated with the online learning process. "If two kids from the same family are here in this school, do we need to purchase two smartphones? The timing of classes is informed just an hour in advance. We need to keep children under watch at all times so they study, but when will we be able to work? Now, they want to shift us to GT School, which is in poorer condition and could close down anytime. Exams are near, and our kids are left in the lurch," complained parent Kumar Rathod.

Narwekar has written to Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, seeking prompt action. Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MSCPCR) has also been sought out to investigate the issue.

Terming the BMC's inspection as "unjustified," Narwekar asserted that the school building was repaired two years ago and now only needs some minor work. "Closing a working school will damage the students' future. Officers in air-conditioned rooms need to realize the ground reality," he said.

Another parent, Charan Rathod, claimed that the issue has been hanging fire for two months, with student dropouts resulting from this. "If the problem is not resolved in two days, we shall also join the protest at BMC headquarters," he threatened.

Parents and civic leaders claim the deadlock will continue until the civic body arranges for a secure, functional space for the kids to start in-class studies again.