More than half of government schools in Ludhiana have no principals

Punjab's Government Schools Face Principal Shortage Crisis

More than half of government schools - A critical shortage of school principals has disrupted the educational infrastructure in Punjab, leaving over 57% of principal positions unfilled as the promotion process remains suspended, according to data released by the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF) in the state.

District-Wise Vacancy Rates

In Ludhiana, the DTF district president, Daljit Singh Samrala, and secretary Harjit Singh Sudhar reported that 1,113 of the 1,927 senior secondary government schools are operating without principal oversight. This equates to a vacancy rate of 55.8% in the district, while the statewide percentage stands at 57.75%.

Among the districts, SBS Nagar has the highest number of vacancies, with 45 out of 52 sanctioned posts unfilled. Mansa trails closely behind, having only 10 of its 73 principal roles filled. Tarn Taran and Barnala report around 80% vacancies, and nearly 70% of schools in Moga, Kapurthala, and Jalandhar are functioning without leadership.

Teachers' Concerns

Senior DTF members Devinder Singh Sidhu, Gurdeep Heran, Gurpreet Khanna, Gurbachan Singh, and Hoshiar Singh noted that since April 1, educators have been diverted to non-teaching responsibilities such as census tasks, drug surveys, and other governmental projects. This has strained school operations and contributed to a decline in student enrollment at government institutions.

"The next hearing is scheduled for July," said Education Secretary Sonali Giri, explaining that the promotion process for principals is on hold following orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

DTF leaders questioned how the government could claim major achievements in education when thousands of principal posts remain unfilled, raising concerns about administrative neglect and its impact on educational outcomes.