by Waris Fayaz
Uri’s government schools present a contrasting picture of enrollment and staffing, with two schools reporting zero students and teachers, while another set of schools are grappling with exceptionally high pupil-teacher ratios.
Government data, accessed reveals that two schools among 375, including Boys Primary School Ghati Choolen Kalsan and Primary School Khalabhat, have recorded zero students and zero teachers, with both schools showing a PTR of zero.
The data also throws up a number of schools functioning with extremely low enrolment.
Primary School Tula Wari has just one student and one teacher, while Primary School Kakroo Mohalla Nambla has two students and one teacher.
Similarly, Primary School Sokdhani has four students and one teacher; Primary School Pakhlan has four students and two teachers; and Girls Primary School Kanderwan Mohura also has four students with two teachers.
Other schools with very low enrolment include Primary School Laribal Nambla, with five students and one teacher, and Primary School Marthan, with six students and one teacher.
High PTR at other end
While some schools have negligible or zero enrolment, the data shows that schools where teachers are catering to substantially larger numbers of students, with only 10 out of the 375 government schools having a PTR above 40.
Primary School Dara tops the PTR table with 120 students against just two teachers, recording a PTR of 60.
It is followed by Higher Secondary School Sultandakhi, which has 441 students and eight teachers, resulting in a PTR of 55.
Primary School Gujjar Nalla has 100 students against two teachers, recording a PTR of 50, while Boys Primary School Naik Mohalla Salamabad Dachana has 146 students and three teachers, giving a PTR of 49.
Other schools among the highest PTR cases include Primary School Kalsee, with 91 students and two teachers (PTR 46), and Middle School Nawa, with 86 students and two teachers (PTR 43).
Govt initiates rationalisation
The government, responding to MLA Uri Dr Sajjad Shafi in the Autumn session of the Assembly, said the staffing requirements of schools with relatively higher PTR are being addressed through rationalisation and judicious deployment of available teaching resources.
The minister incharge Education Department said applications from eligible teachers have already been invited under the Annual Transfer Drive (ATD)-2026, with staffing requirements of schools having higher pupil-teacher loads to be considered during the process.
The government further stated that 22 Laboratory Assistants have recently been promoted as Teachers, of whom eight have been adjusted in Uri constituency.
In addition, five Masters have been transferred to Uri, with the government saying the move is aimed at supplementing existing arrangements, particularly in schools where the pupil-teacher load is relatively high.
The government said the rationalisation exercise for the current academic year has also been initiated to address identified gaps in teacher availability.
It further said that additional staff, including computer and skill-based teachers, are being provided to understaffed schools on a consolidated-remuneration basis.
