Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
A shortage of teachers in key school subjects could pose a challenge to classroom learning, with 35 per cent of schools surveyed reporting a requirement for more teachers in mathematics and science, according to a Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) report.
The State of Teachers, Teaching and Teacher Education for India Report 2025, prepared by TISS’s Centre of Excellence in Teacher Education, studied teacher availability, deployment and qualifications across eight States.
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Mathematics and science recorded the highest reported teacher requirement at 35 per cent. This was followed by English at 31 per cent and regional languages at 30 per cent. Around 15-16 per cent of schools also reported requirements for teachers in physical education, music and art.
The findings point to a wider challenge in ensuring that students have access to teachers with the appropriate subject expertise.
GAPS BETWEEN SUBJECTS TEACHERS STUDIED AND SUBJECTS THEY TEACH
The report also flagged gaps between the subjects teachers studied and the subjects they teach. Earlier reporting on the TISS findings showed that 35 per cent to 41 per cent of mathematics teachers in government and private schools did not have mathematics as a subject at the undergraduate level.
This raises concerns not only about the number of teachers available in schools but also about whether students are being taught by teachers with adequate subject preparation.
The TISS study covered Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Punjab and Telangana. It drew on the survey of 422 schools and more than 3,600 teachers, along with UDISE+ and other datasets.
UNEVEN DISTRIBUTION OF TEACHERS
The report also found differences between government and private schools and between rural and urban areas, highlighting the uneven distribution of teachers across the school system.
The issue comes amid continuing efforts to improve learning outcomes and strengthen teacher preparation under India’s school education reforms. The NITI Aayog’s 2026 review of school education has also cited teacher availability, preparation and professional development among the continuing challenges facing the sector.
The TISS findings therefore underline a key question for school education: filling vacant posts may not be enough unless schools are also able to ensure that students have access to teachers trained in the subjects they teach.
The full, unabridged SoTTTER-25 report is scheduled for publication on International Teachers’ Day, October 5, 2026.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
