New Delhi: A day after TOI reported that students at a Delhi govt school in Khajuri Khas had been studying without a regular chemistry teacher for nearly three academic years, a teacher has been deployed at the institute, students said Monday.“The new teacher took classes today. We have been informed that he will now take chemistry classes three days a week. We are just hoping that he doesn’t go away. We haven’t been told yet whether this is a permanent arrangement,” a Class XII student said. Students said they hoped the arrangement would help them cover portions of the syllabus that had remained difficult to complete without regular classroom teaching, particularly with the board examination year underway.Students earlier alleged that they had no regular chemistry teacher for three academic years, affecting more than 200 students in classes XI and XII. Several Class XII students said they had completed Class XI without consistent chemistry instruction and repeatedly raised the issue with the school administration.Class XII students preparing for the boards said that while they had tried to keep up through self-study, the absence of regular classes had left gaps in conceptual understanding and practical preparation.Students had also raised concerns over irregular biology classes, alleging that the teacher was available for only around three days a week as teaching responsibilities were shared with another school.The deployment has brought some relief, though students said three classes a week would now have to make up for the substantially lost teaching time. Their immediate priority, they said, was completing the syllabus and getting adequate revision and practical preparation ahead of the examinations.A representation by an education activist dated Aug 20, addressed to Directorate of Education, had sought urgent intervention over the alleged shortage at GSKV Khajuri Khas. It said the school had two sections each in classes XI and XII, with 50-55 students in each section.“The prolonged absence of a subject teacher has severely affected their academic preparation and may have a direct impact on their performance in the board examinations,” the representation stated. It added that students had largely relied on self-study to clear examinations, raising concerns over the learning and assessment process in the absence of regular subject teaching.An education department official had confirmed that recruitment postings were underway.
