Balasore, April 26: With just four government high schools in the district offering Urdu as a subject, a large number of students are facing difficulties in opting for a language of their choice.

This coastal district has a high Urdu-speaking population where most students choose Urdu as a language in the primary school level. However, when they move on to high school, they are left with fewer options to study Urdu. Out of a total of 438 high schools in the district, only four — Balasore Zilla School, Barabati Girls’ High School and two others in Soro, namely, S.N. High School and Radhanath Vidyapeeth — include Urdu. As a result, several students are forced to opt for Oriya in their higher classes. Even apprehensive parents are not allowing their wards, despite their interest in Urdu, to take up the language in the elementary level.

“Since I had faced similar difficulties during my schooling career, I chose to admit my son to an English-medium school instead of encouraging him to read Urdu in a primary school,” said Abdul Hamid Khan, a parent.

The inspecting maulvi of Balsore district, S.F. Rasul, said: “At present, there are just four schools which have sanctioned posts for Urdu teachers. In another government-aided school, Haji Naseeruddin High School, the post is lying vacant now following retirement of a teacher.”

While the dearth of Urdu teachers continues to deter many students from pursuing education in the government high schools, government officials say that efforts are being geared up to fill up the vacant Urdu teachers’ posts.

Rasul said out of a total 73 vacancies, only 37 were filled up by sikshya sahayaks in 2005. “There is a restriction on appointment of teachers. As a person hailing from a particular education district cannot be appointed in another education circle, we fell short of the required number of trained Urdu teachers. That is the reason why 36 vacancies still exist,” said Rasul.

He added more Urdu teachers are likely to be recruited in high schools under various central government schemes. “According to central government’s guidelines, a high school would have at least one language teacher if the concerned area has at least 25 per cent of people speaking the language. I have furnished a report highlighting the requirement for 32 teachers in the district,” said Rasul.

Further, the government is supposed to engage an Urdu teacher in a school if it has a minimum of 20 students opting for the subject.

On this basis, the various district inspectors of education have conducted a survey.

“The matter is being dealt with by a separate cell in the district. The district inspectors have submitted the report mentioning 150 Urdu teachers are required at the elementary level. The state school and mass education department is taking necessary steps in this regard,” said Markat Kesari Ray, circle inspector of schools.