Teachers protest Chhattisgarh education rationalization policy, warn of job losses

Tension mounted in Raipur on May 28 as around 10,000 teachers from 23 unions protested against the Chhattisgarh government’s recent decision to rationalize school education across the state.

The protesters attempted to march to the state secretariat on Tuta Road, demanding a rollback of the move they believe could endanger both jobs and the quality of government schooling.

The protest follows the state government’s May 27 directive to rationalize 10,463 schools, a policy that teachers claim could displace up to 43,000 staff members.

Despite tight security and multiple police barricades, demonstrators pushed through initial layers, raising slogans and voicing fears of weakened public education.

“Rationalization would cripple schools. Two teachers cannot manage 18 classes,” one protester said.

Many also expressed concern over having to travel long distances to new postings and the increased workload on those who remain.

Former Deputy Chief Minister TS Singh Deo joined in the criticism, warning that the move echoes similar attempts during the previous BJP-led government.

“Back then, 2,000 to 2,500 schools were shut down in the name of rationalization. The same thing is being repeated,” he said.

He also pointed out the ongoing crisis in staffing, with over 5,500 schools currently operating with only one teacher and hundreds with none at all.

Official data highlights the imbalance: 6,872 primary schools have just one teacher, while 212 operate without any.

Among 13,149 pre-middle schools, 255 have only one teacher, and 48 are completely unstaffed.

While the government insists the measure will help redistribute teaching staff more equitably and improve school infrastructure, critics allege that it is a cost-cutting strategy aimed at avoiding new recruitments.

Teachers’ organizations argue the move undermines long-term educational goals by reducing job openings and overburdening existing staff.

Currently, Chhattisgarh’s student-teacher ratio ranges between 22 and 26 students per teacher, which is within the National Education Policy 2020’s recommendation of 30:1.

Teachers fear that the new policy could disrupt this balance and hurt student learning outcomes.

“There are schools with no teachers at all. Rationalization won’t fix that—it just shifts the burden,” Deo said.

He also stressed that removing teachers from overstaffed schools might make sense, but not at the cost of leaving other schools under-resourced.

As the debate escalates, the state has yet to clearly explain how the restructuring aligns with broader education reform goals.

Teachers, meanwhile, remain firm in their opposition, vowing to continue their protests until the decision is reversed.