Hyderabad: Ghattu and KT Doddi mandals of Jogulamba Gadwal district are among the most backwards mandals in the country. The total literacy rate of Ghattu mandal as per the 2011 census was 36.56 percent, with the female literacy rate being 23.54 percent. In KT Doddi, the total literacy rate was 49.87 percent, with a female literacy rate of 39.48 percent. While much has changed in the past decade or so, more needs to be done.
Much of the backwardness in these mandals has been attributed to high migration and child labour, mostly in cotton picking, as a result of poverty.
Even as the schools have reopened for the 2025-26 academic year on Thursday, June 12, the shortage of teaching staff in the government schools has sparked protests demanding the allotment of faculty to schools in these two mandals.
Balala Hakkula Parirakshana Vedika and Thallula Sangham held a protest in Gadwal town on Wednesday, June 11, demanding the appointment of 121 teachers in Ghattu and 81 teachers in KT Doddi mandals to teach in the government schools.
Situation in Ghattu mandal
There are 47 government schools in Ghattu mandal (33 mandal parishad primary schools, 5 upper primary schools, 2 mandal parishad high schools, and 7 zila parishad high schools).
Among these, there are more students than available teachers in 27 mandals. Out of 176 teacher posts sanctioned for Ghattu, only 142 have been filled, with 34 not yet filled. Those posts were filled as per the strength of students in 2018.
As per the student-teacher ratio specified in government order number 25 issued in 2021, there is a need for 87 teachers in these schools, which means a total need of 87+34 (121) teachers is needed.
Among the nine high schools in Ghattu mandal, six schools don’t have biological science, physical science, Telugu, Hindi, English, Mathematics and Social science teachers. With ZPHS Ghattu having both English and Telugu medium, there is a need for additional staff to teach English and Mathematics there.
Situation in KT Doddi mandal
In KT Doddi mandal, there are 29 mandal parishad primary schools, five upper primary schools, two mandal parishad high schools and five zila parishad high schools.
Among these, there is a disproportionate student-teacher ratio in 16 schools. Out of 107 sanctioned teaching posts in these schools, 100 have been filled. As per the present student strength, the protesting organisations claim that there is a need to allot 74 more teachers to these schools, which means there is a need for 74+7 (81) teachers in KT Doddi mandal.
In three high schools, there are staff to teach English, Telugu, Mathematics, Hindi and Physical Sciences. ZPHS Irikichedu doesn’t have a Mathematics teacher post sanctioned.
As two high schools have both English and Telugu medium, there are not enough teachers available to teach various subjects.
The protesting organisations are demanding that the state government immediately allot more teachers in these mandals, keeping in mind the backwardness and the urgent need to improve the condition of education in these mandals.
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