Dumka: Showcause notices were issued to 24 headmasters of high schools in Deogarh district following poor performances in the recently declared Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC) matric and intermediate examination results. The headmasters have been given a week to explain reasons for the poor results.District superintendent of education (DSE) Vinod Kumar on Saturday said that the move comes amid concerns over a sharp decline in academic standards across govt schools. “Despite continuous directions from the district administration to strengthen academic activities and ensure regular student attendance, the results have been disappointing,” he said.Officials said that nearly 40–50% of the schools recorded unsatisfactory results, prompting the department to fix accountability on heads of underperforming institutions.Kumar attributed the weak performance to poor attendance and an acute shortage of teachers. “More than 50% of sanctioned teaching posts are vacant. Against a sanctioned strength of over 1,200, only 489 teachers are currently posted,” he said, adding that despite facilities like smart classes, midday meals and basic infrastructure, learning outcomes remain below expectations.The department will also seek explanations from principals of other schools where results were below par. A detailed review meeting is planned to analyse lapses and chart corrective measures.To improve outcomes, the administration plans to roll out remedial classes for weak students and organise additional sessions during holidays with support from senior students.Deoghar slipped to 13th position in matric and 15th in intermediate results in the state this year. Last year, it was 9th in matric and 10th in intermediate results.
