The Gujarat State School Management Association has expressed concern over the acute shortage of teaching and non-teaching staff in grant-in-aid (GIA) schools, warning that the vacancies are affecting classroom teaching and placing an excessive administrative burden on existing employees.
The issue was raised during a meeting of the association’s executive committee held in Ahmedabad on Friday, which was attended by nearly 90 per cent of its office-bearers and members. The meeting reviewed several long-pending issues, including teacher vacancies, shortage of clerical and support staff, temporary appointments, increasing administrative responsibilities and stagnant government grants.
The association said many grant-in-aid schools have been functioning for years without adequate teachers, clerks and administrative assistants, forcing the existing staff to shoulder additional responsibilities. As a result, several classrooms remain without teachers, disrupting academic activities and affecting the quality of education, particularly for students from economically weaker and middle-income families.
The committee also highlighted the growing administrative workload arising from government-mandated online processes. Schools are required to upload data, submit reports and complete various digital tasks within strict deadlines. In the absence of sufficient support staff, principals and teachers are compelled to handle these responsibilities, reducing the time available for classroom teaching.
“Nearly a month has passed since the commencement of the 2026-27 academic session, yet a large number of grant-in-aid schools continue to function with inadequate teaching staff. The state government should expedite the recruitment process and fill all vacant posts at the earliest,” association office-bearer Bhaskar Patel said.
As an interim measure, the association urged the government to appoint temporary or visiting teachers until regular recruitment is completed. It also demanded the deployment of assistant teachers, clerical staff and administrative assistants to ease the workload on schools.
The association further pointed out that government grants and fee reimbursements for grant-in-aid schools have remained unchanged for several years despite rising operational costs. It urged the state government to revise financial assistance to help institutions meet increasing expenses and maintain educational standards.