Bhawanipatna: Large-scale vacancy of teachers has adversely affected academics at government-run schools in Kalahandi district.

Many of these schools run with just one or two teachers.

Upper Primary School at Charbahal in Junagarh block is one such school. It has only two teachers for its 207 students. An education department official admitted the problem but said the situation would improve after the recruitment of siksha sahayaks in the district in April.

Residents of the village and parents of the students are worried about the future of the school where teaching has taken a severe hit because of the shortage of teachers and inadequate infrastructure.

Gobardhan Sahu, a resident of the village, said: "Lakhs of rupees have been spent on the school in our village as part of the Sarva Siksha Abhijaan to develop infrastructure. But we don't see much positive changes happening on the ground. Moreover, the school is crippled by shortage of teachers."

Sources said the school earlier had three teachers. The number came down to two after one of them was transferred in 2016.

According to government rules, the school should have six teachers to maintain the proper teacher and student ratio. Established in 1950, the school is among the oldest in the district.

Local sarpanch Sushila Dalpati is worried about the situation at the school. She said: "I have repeatedly attracted the attention of the authorities about the shortage of teachers at the school that was adversely affecting academics. But nothing has been done."

Kalahandi district education officer Pradeep Kumar Nag said he was aware of the problem of teacher shortage at the school.

"The problem of shortage of teachers will be solved shortly. We will have more teachers at the school after the recruitment of sikshya sahayaks in the district in April," Nag said.