Chandigarh: Punjab’s govt schools are grappling with a shortage of teachers, with nearly one in every six sanctioned posts lying vacant.
Of these, 10 of Punjab’s 23 districts have a teacher vacancy rate above the state average. Despite the shortfall, Punjab meets the prescribed pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) under the Right to Education (RTE) Act.
Figures shared by the Centre in the Lok Sabha in response to a question by SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal showed that 18,015 of Punjab’s 1,03,052 sanctioned teaching posts remain vacant, translating into a vacancy rate of 17.5%.
An analysis of the district-wise data shows that Nawanshahr is the worst affected, with 33.8% of its sanctioned teaching posts vacant, followed by Kapurthala (28.4%), Roopnagar (27.7%), Jalandhar (25.4%), Tarn Taran (22.9%), Hoshiarpur (22.8%), Ludhiana (21.8%), Fatehgarh Sahib (21.8%), Gurdaspur (20.1%) and Amritsar (19.9%). Border districts Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur and Amritsar feature among the 10 worst-affected districts, underscoring staffing challenges in strategically important areas.
Ludhiana, meanwhile, has the highest number of 2,179 vacant posts in absolute terms.
The Union ministry of education informed Parliament that as per the norms prescribed under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, the prescribed PTR is 30:1 at the primary level and 35:1 at the upper primary level. Punjab has a PTR of 18:1 at the primary level and 16:1 at the upper primary level.
The ministry said during review meetings and project approval board meetings, it advises Punjab govt to expedite teacher recruitment to ensure adequate availability of teachers. The ministry clarified that education is in the Concurrent List of the Constitution and the recruitment/deployment and terms/service conditions of teachers come under the purview of the respective state govt and UT administration.
NEARLY 4,000 SCHOOLS DAMAGED IN 2025 FLOODS
Punjab experienced severe floods during Aug-Sept 2025, affecting 3,958 schools and block primary education offices (BPEOs). According to the post-disaster needs assessment (PDNA) conducted by the Union ministry of home affairs, 505 primary schools and 271 middle, secondary and higher secondary schools were completely damaged, while 1,932 primary schools, 1,109 middle, secondary and higher secondary schools, and 141 BPEOs sustained severe damage. Punjab govt informed the Centre that immediate safety measures and temporary arrangements were made to ensure continuity of teaching and learning activities.
