Education in Odisha / Odisha Govt Orders Urgent Teacher Recruitment in Single‑Teacher Schools

Bhubaneswar, Aug 8: The Odisha government has taken a major step to strengthen the state’s education system by directing immediate recruitment of teachers in schools currently run by only one teacher.

School and Mass Education Department Secretary N. Thirumala Naik has written to all district collectors, instructing them to complete the recruitment process within a month. The directive aims to address the acute shortage of teachers in hundreds of schools across the state.

The issue has been highlighted in the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) 2025‑26 report, which revealed that 1,458 schools in Odisha are functioning with just one teacher, catering to nearly 59,672 students.

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This marks an increase from 1,089 single‑teacher schools in 2024‑25, showing a rise of 369 such schools in just one academic year.

Examples of the crisis include Gangapaniguda Primary School in Patangi, where nearly 100 students from Classes I to VIII are taught by only two teachers, and Tarapada Primary School in Kendrapara’s Rajkanika block, where 62 students from Classes I to V depend on a single teacher. Parents and educationists have long demanded urgent intervention.

According to the Right to Education Act, 2009, one teacher should be appointed for every 30 students at the primary level. The department has now instructed collectors to rationalize teacher postings, submit Action Taken Reports within 15 days, and ensure compliance with student‑teacher ratio norms.

Educationists have welcomed the move, noting that it will help reduce the burden on single teachers and improve learning outcomes. Parents too have expressed relief, hoping their children will finally receive adequate attention in classrooms.