Orissa HC voices concern over vacant school teacher posts, asks Govt to submit PTR of all schools

Expressing displeasure over vacancies in teacher posts in government-run schools, the Orissa High Court has directed the State government to furnish Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) in all the schools in the State, specifically mentioning the existing vacancies and the steps being taken to fill the same up.

A Single Bench of Justice Dixit Krishna Shripad, adjudicating the writ petition filed by a teacher challenging transfer order served to him, took strong exception to shortage of teachers, saying that “in many schools the PTR is not maintained and that would affect the quality of instructions and teaching, enormously”.

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This Court has been seeing many cases of a similar nature, wherein very often it is contended with prima facie force that in many schools the Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) is not maintained and that would affect the quality of instructions and teaching, enormously, Justice Shripad stated in the order.

PTR is an indicator that specifies the number of students for each teacher in a school or educational institution. The lower PTR generally points to more individualised attention and improved learning environ in educational institutions.

The PTR is fixed under the new Education Policy evolved by the Central Government and after keeping in view a host of factors, inasmuch as the future of the nation depends upon the quality of education given to the growing children, the order observed.

A Writ Court cannot turn a Nelson’s eye to the apparent deficiency in the administration, especially when the right to education itself is held to be part of Article 21 of the Constitution of India by the Apex Court in a catena of decisions, the Court said in the order.

In the above circumstances, the Opposite Parties (the school and mass education department are directed to furnish PTR in all the schools in the State as existing on 1 August 2025, specifically mentioning the existing vacancies and the steps that are being taken to fill the same up, the order concluded.