Just 4 Teachers for 700 Students: Chilling Staff Shortage Hits Assam School, Sparks Calls for Action Now

In a vivid example of the infectious staff shortage affecting Assam government schools, the state high school is battling to accommodate just four teachers to instruct nearly 700 students, sending alarm bells ringing about the quality of education being delivered.

Despite serial recruitment drives and the introduction of the TET to make public school personnel more robust, things are far from reality. Students in this over-packed school are said to lack effective academic guidance, and the classes are disorganized between subjects and grades for the teachers.

"It is practically impossible to give the students their due attention," remarked one of the unwilling teachers. "We have to deal with several subjects, perhaps without a break, and still cannot teach the syllabus fully."

The crisis caused shock waves among education activists and parents, who are seeking an immediate response from the state government. "It is not a matter of staff — it's a matter of children's future," said community leader and education activist Ramen Deka. "Since there are no proper teachers, even primary learning objectives are not achieved."

The government has recognized teacher shortfalls in some areas but bureaucratic hitches in appointments and inadequate infrastructure persist to fuel the issue. Although the TET has improved the recruitment of fresh recruits, there are still some which go unpublished or encounter bureaucratic setbacks in their deployment.

Experts note that these variations in teacher-to-student ratios bear long-term consequences, particularly in rural and semi-urban pockets where other facilities like coaching or internet studies are not available.

Parents of the students have approached the state education officials, pleading with them to send more teachers on priority, make occasional visits, and establish support systems for frazzled staff. If no urgent action is taken, they caution, an entire generation of students will be lost.