Ganderbal, Apr 26: Ganderbal district schools are grappling with persistent Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) imbalances as the concerned department has failed to implement staff rationalisation for the 2025-2026 academic session, unlike other Kashmir districts that completed the process by February.
Sources told Greater Kashmir that Education Zones like Kangan and Hariganiwan, boasting the district’s highest student enrollment suffers acutely from staff shortages that strain teaching capacity and violate PTR norms.
Under the National Education Policy 2020, maintaining a healthy pupil-teacher ratio is key to ensuring learning outcomes. However, on the ground in Ganderbal, the same hasn’t been implemented yet. Staff rationalisation, a key J&K education directive since mid-2025, redistributes teachers from surplus to deficit schools to balance PTRs and boost learning outcomes.
Sources said that Districts like Kupwara kicked off efforts early, addressing over 1000 vacancies through mergers and reallocations by session start, while others finalized adjustments in February 2026 for optimal operations. In stark contrast, Ganderbal lingers without orders into late April. The fallout hits hardest in high-enrollment Hariganiwan, where elevated student numbers clash with limited faculty, eroding academic quality. Another institution head warned that mid-session rationalisation now risks further disruption, insisting it’s the “need of the hour” to salvage the year amid DSEK’s ambitious calendar and NEP 2020 alignment. They have urged the administration to expedite the process before the mid-term exams, so that academic loss to students can be prevented.
When contacted, CEO Ganderbal, Oneel Kumar Bhat said that “the process of rationalisation will be started soon. “ We have approved it and will be completed shortly to ensure balanced staff deployment across the district” CEO told this newspaper.
