Bhubaneswar, June 22: Odisha's primary education system is grappling with a severe shortage of teachers and inadequate infrastructure, even as teachers are being asked to correct errors in textbooks while conducting classes.
According to official data, as many as 1,089 primary and upper primary schools in the state are functioning with only one teacher. More than 47,000 students are enrolled in these schools. In several cases, a single teacher is handling classes from Grade I to Grade VIII.
Infrastructure remains another major concern. Around 1,900 schools reportedly have only one classroom, forcing students of multiple grades to study in the same room or even in verandas.
The state has nearly 1.5 lakh sanctioned teaching posts in primary and upper primary schools, but over 50,000 positions remain vacant. This means nearly one-third of teaching posts are lying unfilled.
Teacher associations have expressed concern over the government's directive asking teachers to correct errors in textbooks while teaching. They argue that teachers are already burdened with numerous non-academic duties, including electoral work, surveys, census-related assignments, Aadhaar enrolment, midday meal management, school enrolment drives and various government programmes.
The issue has become more complicated following the identification of a large number of errors in school textbooks. Teacher leaders claim that correcting and teaching from error-ridden books is difficult, particularly in schools facing acute staff shortages.
Concerns have also been raised over the teaching of Hindi, Sanskrit and Urdu in Classes VI to VIII. Many schools do not have subject-specific teachers, forcing teachers from other disciplines to handle these subjects. In some schools, educationists allege, these subjects are either irregularly taught or not taught at all.
According to data cited by teacher unions, 1,678 errors have been identified in textbooks across different classes. The highest number—705 errors—has been found in Class VIII books, followed by 387 in Class VII and 289 in Class VI. Additional errors may still remain undetected, they claim.
Primary School Teachers' Association president Brahmananda Maharana questioned how teachers, already burdened with multiple responsibilities and staff shortages, can effectively correct textbook errors while ensuring quality education. He urged the government to provide error-free textbooks instead of shifting the responsibility of corrections to teachers.
