Ludhiana: The new school year is off to a failing start as hundreds of teachers vanish from classrooms for mandatory training to join the ranks of the national census. Govt schools report critical staff shortages of up to 90%. Principals across the Ludhiana district have issued an urgent plea to education authorities, warning that the three-day training programme has crippled administrative tasks and soured first impressions for parents seeking new admissions.Schools in ‘Crisis Mode’While the academic session is in its infancy, school leaders claim the timing of the census training could not be worse. The sudden mass exit of educators has left several institutes with a skeletal crew, struggling to manage even basic supervision. “In my school, 90% of the staff was unavailable,” said one Ludhiana principal, who requested anonymity. “It was difficult to manage. The session has just started, and there are many official tasks that only teachers can complete.“Another principal reported that out of a total staff of 56, only 15 remained on-site. “Parents are still visiting for admissions. Having so few teachers available does not give a good impression of our schools,” the principal added. The conflict highlights a recurring tension between the state’s educational goals and the logistical demands of national data collection.Key challenges reported by schools include admission bottlenecks (a lack of staff to process new enrolments during the peak intake period), academic disruption (difficulty maintaining a “smooth academic flow” for students already in class), and administrative load (official start-of-term paperwork remains stalled as teachers attend training sessions at various city locations).Calls for a ‘Divided Ratio’The education department has acknowledged the strain but admitted that there is currently no formal contingency plan to provide substitute cover for schools. Deputy eistrict education officer (DEO) Amandeep Singh confirmed the department had reached out to census coordinators to request a more manageable rotation. “There are no such arrangements as of now,” he said. “But we have appealed to the concerned authorities to manage these duties with a divided responsibility — perhaps 30% or 40% of staff at a time — so schools can continue their academic responsibilities.“Union ResponseThe Democratic Teachers Front (DTF) has slammed the decision to prioritise the census over the classroom. “These training sessions and duties are affecting the educational atmosphere directly,” said Rupinder Pal Singh Gill, DTF’s district general secretary. “The authorities must reconsider. There is a clear vision of schools suffering from these shortages.” With the actual census duties yet to officially begin, teacher unions fear the current disruption is merely a “dress rehearsal” for a more prolonged staffing crisis later in the term.
