World Bank findings
Karnataka's overall teacher absentee rate of 21.7 per cent is still better than the national average of 25 per cent absenteeism found by a recent World Bank study (see chart).
India’s rate was “quite high compared to other countries” like Indonesia and Peru, which registered 19% and 11% respectively, the study found. The World Bank blamed India’s absenteeism for the fact that nearly seven out of every ten primary school children cannot read a simple paragraph
A second check of 10,000 teachers in 2,418 Karnataka schools confirmed that most government school teachers were gone with permission. Only 0.6 per cent were on “unauthorized” leave—meaning they had no valid excuse and were gone for more than four months, according to the 2008 study by Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), the reform arm of the Karnataka Education Office.
The number is relatively tiny and the teachers stop receiving their regular pay. Yet they continue to fill a spot on the school’s employment roster.
Example
Geetha HR was the Maths and Science at the Government Primary School in Kodihalli. After her four months of maternity leave elapsed in December 2006, she did not return.
Education officials at the local Block Education Office (BEO), responsible for hiring and firing teachers, said they “could not find her at her old address,” located some seven kilometers away. They added that without being able to contact her directly, the education department hasn’t been able to officially terminate her and make way for a teacher that would show up. The alternative would be a “lengthy procedure” that includes placing newspaper ads and waiting for months.
Greener pastures
As it happened, IIJNM students learned of Geetha’s whereabouts in three hours after obtaining her address. Leaning on the front door, her mother-in-law said that Geetha had taken a teaching job at a private school, closer to home.
Geetha was reached by telephone in Shimoga, where she was vacationing at the time. She expressed little concern about the public school students she left behind.
“If one teacher is absent, it will not affect their education,” said Geetha. “You tell me how can they suffer? The other teachers can easily fill up one teacher’s place.”
Ashraff Unnissa used to teach in South Bangalore at the Urdu Senior Primary School, a typical two-story government school where each classroom teems with nearly 60 restless boys and girls.
“Some of the other teachers take her class now and no new teacher has yet been appointed in her place till now,” said Principal Asmat Unnisa (no relation). “We have to manage with the number of teachers that we have, as we are not authorized to keep any temporary teachers.”
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