PRAYAGRAJ, June 8 -- In a bid to address the acute shortage of teachers in secondary schools, the Uttar Pradesh secondary education department is considering introducing online classes and open schooling modules in government-run and government-aided institutions across the state. The proposed intervention is aimed at ensuring uninterrupted teaching in key subjects such as mathematics, science, computer science and commerce, where vacancies have persisted for years due to the absence of large-scale teacher recruitment, confirm officials. The teacher shortage has significantly impacted academic activities in 2,635 government-run and 4,512 government-aided secondary schools across UP. Many institutions have been struggling to provide subject-specific instruction, affecting the quality of teaching and learning. As part of efforts to tackle the crisis, the department is exploring multiple options. While the state government is considering engaging retired officers, teachers, and staff as guest faculty on a voluntary basis in government schools, officials are also examining the feasibility of conducting classes through Open Schooling and online platforms in subjects facing severe faculty shortages. Confirming the development, UP Board secretary Bhagwati Singh said a proposal on introducing open schooling and online classes in teacher-deficit subjects at government-run and govt-aided sec schools has been sent to the state gov. He added that discussions with NIOS are underway to develop a practical framework for implementation....