Assam: Dhubri’s century-old girls’ school faces severe staff shortage despite PM SHRI status

The Government Girls’ Higher Secondary School in Dhubri, one of Assam’s oldest educational institutions and recently designated a PM SHRI school, is facing a serious shortage of teachers and staff, raising concerns over the future of its academic standards.

Established in 1925, the school is approaching its 100th year. Despite its heritage status and inclusion under the Pradhan Mantri Shri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme, residents allege that the institution has seen little improvement on the ground and continues to suffer from long-standing administrative neglect.

According to available records, the school has 67 sanctioned posts for teaching and non-teaching staff. At present, 34 of these positions remain vacant. The posts of Principal and Vice-Principal have not been filled for a prolonged period. The Dhubri Inspector of Schools, Adit Kumar Sharma, is currently serving as acting Principal, while Biswanath Roy has been assigned the role of Academic Principal.

The shortage is most acute among teaching staff. Out of 13 sanctioned subject teacher posts in the Arts and Science streams, 10 are vacant. The institution is also functioning with only one Demonstrator against three sanctioned posts, one Grade-III staff member against three posts, and six Grade-IV employees against a sanctioned strength of eleven.

The impact has been most visible in the Science stream. The school runs classes from Class VI to Higher Secondary level, but the Science stream at the Higher Secondary stage has effectively been shut down due to the absence of teachers. As a result, no students have enrolled in the first and second year Higher Secondary Science courses this academic year.

The school currently serves around 853 students from Class VI to Higher Secondary Arts. Local residents and education observers say the limited number of teachers is struggling to manage the academic load, affecting classroom teaching and overall learning outcomes.

The PM SHRI scheme, aligned with the National Education Policy 2020, aims to create model schools with modern infrastructure and improved learning environments. However, community members argue that the designation has so far remained symbolic for the Dhubri institution.

Residents have urged the Assam government and the Education Department to take immediate steps, including appointing a permanent Principal and Vice-Principal and filling all vacant teaching and staff positions. They say timely intervention is necessary not only to justify the PM SHRI status but also to protect the academic legacy of a school nearing its centenary year.