The Odisha Government has instructed all District Collectors to immediately deploy additional teachers to single-teacher elementary schools to ensure compliance with the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009.
In a letter to all Collectors, School and Mass Education Commissioner-cum-Secretary Dr. N. Thirumala Naik said recent UDISE data indicates that a significant number of government schools in the state are operating with only one teacher.
The department noted that such schools face challenges in providing quality education and do not meet the teacher requirements prescribed under Sections 19 and 25 of the RTE Act, along with the Schedule that specifies the minimum pupil-teacher ratio for elementary schools.
To address the issue, District Collectors have been directed to review the status of all single-teacher schools in their respective districts and take immediate steps to deploy or adjust teachers wherever necessary. Schools with higher student enrolment have been given priority in the rationalisation process.
The government has set a deadline of one month to complete the teacher deployment exercise. Collectors have also been asked to submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) to the School and Mass Education Department within 15 days of receiving the directive.
Describing the matter as “Most Urgent,” the department said the move is intended to ensure full compliance with the provisions of the RTE Act while improving the quality of education and learning outcomes in government elementary schools across Odisha.
The initiative is expected to strengthen classroom teaching, reduce the burden on single teachers, and provide students with better access to quality education throughout the state.