More than one in every four sanctioned teacher posts for Classes XI and XII in Haryana Government schools is lying vacant, raising concerns over the quality of education and compliance with Right to Education (RTE) norms.According to the minutes of the Project Approval Board (PAB) meeting on the Annual Work Plan and Budget 2026-27 under Samagra Shiksha, 5,573 of the 21,311 sanctioned teacher posts (26.2%) at the senior secondary level remain vacant.Teacher shortages persist across other levels as well. At the elementary stage (Classes I-VIII), 8,449 of the 60,396 sanctioned posts (14%) are vacant, while at the secondary level (Classes IX and X), 2,413 of 19,792 sanctioned posts (12.2%) remain unfilled.Expressing concern over the vacancies, the PAB advised the state to expedite recruitment. “In light of this sizeable number of vacancies, the state was advised to expedite the filling of vacant positions to ensure adequate staffing in both elementary and secondary schools. Principal Secretary, School Education, Haryana, informed that the recruitment is under process and vacancies will be filled soon,” the minutes stated.The review also highlighted a sharp rise in the number of single-teacher government primary schools, which increased from 696 in 2023-24 to 968 in 2024-25, accounting for nearly 11% of all government primary schools in the state.The PAB observed that the percentage of primary schools with an adverse pupil-teacher ratio had also increased from 21.5% to 22.1% over the same period. “The state is requested to undertake a detailed review and appropriate corrective measures, and ensure compliance with RTE norms at all levels,” the minutes noted.Principal Secretary, School Education, Vijay Singh Dahiya, said, “We will soon launch the implementation plan on recommendations by the PAB.”Teacher education institutions are also grappling with severe shortages. Vacancy levels in the state’s 21 functional District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) have increased to 62%, up from 59% last year, while vacancies at the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) have declined to 33% from 49%. The PAB urged Haryana to fill these positions with qualified teacher educators or through deputation.The report further pointed to an increase in the number of government schools with very low enrolment. The state informed the board that it was strengthening cluster schools and providing free transport to students. “The state is strengthening cluster schools and providing free transport, and assured that this will be resolved soon,” the minutes recorded.Infrastructure and access gaps also remain. Haryana has 63 habitations without access to primary schools, 112 without upper primary schools, 132 villages without secondary schools and 215 villages without higher secondary schools.The PAB also flagged a massive Rs 691.88-crore spill-over in civil works. Of the Rs 887.71 crore approved, only Rs 195.82 crore has been spent. As many as 67 of the 71 works sanctioned in 2025-26 are yet to begin, while 2,746 projects sanctioned in previous years also remain pending.“All pending civil works sanctioned during 2018-19 to 2020-21 should be thoroughly reviewed, and works which have not been started or already completed under convergence with other schemes should be treated as cancelled,” the minutes said. It further noted that no new non-recurring activities have been proposed in the current budget because of the huge spill-over and urged the state to complete all pending works during the current financial year.