‘Jod-varga’ system stretches teachers thin as they juggle many grades in the same classroom; while activists have raised concerns about the quality of teaching under this system, these so-called ‘jod-varga’ (combined classrooms) remain as per norms
A joint classroom in session in one of the schools in the city. Pic/Pranali Raut
The practice of teachers simultaneously lecturing multiple standard classes and conducting parallel lessons has become routine in several schools across the state. While activists have raised concerns about the quality of teaching under this system, these so-called ‘jod-varga’ (combined classrooms) remain as per norms. A jod-varga is when a single teacher handles full school hours for students from two or more grades at the same time. The practice stems from falling student enrolments and delays in teacher allotments.
At a Mumbai Public School, activists allege they have seen one teacher managing as many as four grades at once, with just over 20 students in the classroom. “I have seen the blackboard divided into columns, each dedicated to a different grade, from Std I to IV. The teacher teaches Std I while assigning writing or reading tasks to others, then moves on to Std II, then IV, and so on,” said Pranali Raut, a citizen activist.
Just a few kilometres away, another civic school has one teacher juggling Std I and II together, while another manages Std III and IV in the adjoining room. Although the combined student strength is under 30, the syllabus still differs. “The students learn in an overlapping manner. At times, even younger students recite poems meant for the higher grade. While children are coping for now, the system places immense pressure on teachers already stretched to capacity,” a school source told mid-day.
Despite the challenges, teachers, principals and staff continue to keep up with lectures, syllabus completion, exams, midday meals and training workshops. “The upside is that some students learn faster and move smoothly to the next grade. But the downside is that weaker students often fall behind completely,” the source added.
In another BMC school, one teacher handles Std I to VIII simultaneously. With nearly 38 students, the language teacher is forced to manage all subjects, administrative work and mandated training alone. “I have taught for over 30 years, yet it feels like I can’t do justice to my students or my experience. Managing such varied age groups is extremely difficult. When I teach Std VII or VIII, younger students get restless. It feels like I’ve been thrown into open waters, unable to swim despite my training,” the teacher said. Despite enrolment being higher than 30, a second teacher has yet to be allotted.
Under the ‘Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act’ in Maharashtra, one teacher is required for every 20 primary students: two for 20–60, three for 61–90, and so on. But the regulation looks only at total enrolment (pat-sankhya), not how students are distributed across different grades. “Nearly 17,500 schools in Maharashtra have fewer than 20 students enrolled,” said Sharad Gosavi, director of Primary Education. “In some schools, only four to five students are in a particular grade, which makes appointing multiple teachers difficult.”
According to BMC data, 88 primary schools in the city have enrolments under 30, with 141 teachers allotted to them. Civic officials insist that no school is run by a single teacher and that temporary ‘Clock Hour Basis’ educators are appointed in such cases. Teachers, however, say many of these appointments are delayed or pending.
To tackle falling enrolments, the government proposed “cluster schools” in 2023, where smaller neighbouring schools would be merged to ensure proper facilities. But the idea sparked protests from educationists, who argued that the move signalled the closure of many smaller schools. “Cluster schools would deny students their right to primary education within 1 km of their homes. Young children would be forced to travel long distances. That’s how we’ve ended up in this situation,” said Mahendra Ganpule, former head of the Maharashtra School Principals’ Association.
“The RTE Act should not be misused. The condition that a teacher will be appointed only if there are 20 students should be removed. Every class must be provided with a dedicated teacher. Teachers should be freed from non-academic work. Only then can quality education be delivered,” said Jalindar Devaram Sarode, working president, Shikshak Sena, Maharashtra state.
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