The posts lying vacant for clerks and other school administrative staff across the state for years have been cut short by 90 per cent after a circular was issued to schools across the state to bring down the student-administrative staff ratio.

The resolution came a day prior to the final hearing of the case in the high court to which the state Education Secretary and the state Revenue Secretary had been summoned. They, however, remained absent during the hearing.

There are a total of 3,000 posts for clerks, senior clerks, head clerks and office superintendents lying vacant in the schools across the state. While the already lopsided ratio of students and administrative staff has kept the staff overworked and starving for leave, with the cutting down on vacancies further by 90 per cent the problem is likely to aggravate.

The School Management Association has moved the court against the acute shortage of the administrative staff three years ago following which the education department was directed to fill in the vacant posts.

President of the School Management Association, Ambu Patel, said, “The education department was ordered to fill up the posts six months ago but the department kept delaying it and has issued a new circular a day prior to the final hearing. About 3,000 posts are lying vacant since 1982 but with the new resolution the total number of posts has been cut short to 10 per cent.”

The State Federation of Secondary and Higher Secondary School Administrative Staff has called upon a meeting on October 31 to discuss its reaction to the resolution.

... contd.