HYDERABAD: As the 2026-27 academic year begins, government schools in Telangana are struggling with a lack of subject teachers due to many recent retirements. This has led teachers’ unions to call for the hiring of Vidya Volunteers to maintain uninterrupted classroom instruction.

The issue has come up again despite the School Education Department recently telling District Educational Officers (DEOs) to find surplus teachers and move them to government and local body schools that are experiencing shortages, based on student enrolment numbers from June 20.

However, teachers believe that just moving staff around won't solve the problem, especially in high schools where specialized teachers are needed for specific subjects. While no official vacancy numbers exist, teacher representatives estimate that over 1,000 subject teacher positions are vacant across the state.

Reports indicate that several government high schools have started the academic year without teachers for Mathematics, Physical Sciences, and Biological Sciences. The shortage has worsened due to the recent retirement of many teachers. Teacher unions point out that vacancies remain unfilled, even as student enrolment increases in many government schools.

“High schools need subject experts, unlike primary schools. A Mathematics teacher cannot effectively teach Biology or Social Studies. Each high school requires qualified teachers for every core subject to maintain academic standards. The workload often falls on available staff, who must handle multiple classes outside their area of expertise,” said I Umesh, a government school teacher from Secunderabad.

“One teacher sometimes has to manage two or three subjects or take on extra sections because approved posts are empty. This impacts both teaching quality and syllabus completion,” said Ahmed Khan, a government high school teacher from Santosh Nagar.

M Ravinder, additional general secretary of the Telangana Progressive Teachers Federation (TPTF), stated that moving teachers from schools with surplus staff offers only temporary relief.

“While some schools have extra teachers, others lack staff for one or more subjects. Moving teachers from surplus schools often encounters practical issues, as many are hesitant to work on a short-term basis, leaving several schools with ongoing vacancies,” he said. “Vidya Volunteers are not a permanent fix, but they are crucial to fill the gap until regular appointments occur. Without them, it is the students who suffer,” he added.

Teacher unions remember that around 16,650 Vidya Volunteers worked in government schools during the 2019-20 academic year.