1,900 MP Government Schools Running Without Teachers? High Court Seeks State’s Reply Over CAG Findings

Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh High Court has sought a response from the state government on a petition alleging that nearly 1,900 government schools across the state are functioning without a single teacher. A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Vivek Rusia and Justice Pradeep Mittal issued notices to the respondents during a hearing on July 14 and directed them to file their reply within four weeks.

The petition was filed by advocate Saurabh Tripathi, who argued the case himself. It relies on the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report, which reviewed 66,814 government schools in Madhya Pradesh between 2018 and March 2023.

According to the petition, the audit found that 1,895 government schools had no teachers, including 1,379 schools where students were enrolled but no teaching staff was posted.

The plea also highlights alleged irregularities in teacher deployment. It states that 435 schools with no enrolled students had teachers posted, while 128 teachers were deployed in 320 schools that did not even have sanctioned teaching posts, indicating serious imbalances in staffing.

The petition further points to a decline in educational outcomes, stating that the Class 10 pass percentage fell from 67% in 2018-19 to 38% in 2021-22.

Citing media reports based on the CAG findings, the petition also alleges that education officials in districts such as Indore, Mandla, and Sheopur failed to conduct mandatory school inspections. It further claims that 14 officials from the offices of the District Education Officer (DEO), Block Education Officer (BEO), and DIET were deputed to other departments while continuing to draw salaries from the School Education Department, resulting in an expenditure of nearly ₹3.27 crore.

Describing the situation as a violation of children’s constitutional right to education, the petitioner has requested the High Court to direct the state government to appoint teachers in all 1,895 teacher-less schools within a fixed timeframe. The plea also seeks the formation of a high-level committee to review the state’s teacher deployment policy.

Taking note of the allegations, the High Court issued notices to the state government and other respondents. The court directed that notices be served after the prescribed process fee is deposited within seven working days, with the respondents required to submit their replies within four weeks.