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. The issue was discussed at a meeting held at the headquarters of the Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UP Board) in Prayagraj on May 27. The meeting was attended by principals of government-run, government-aided, and unaided secondary schools. Following the deliberations, the UP Board wrote to the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), seeking details of teaching-learning materials available for various subjects, a senior secondary education department official said. Officials said that if required, NIOS could also be entrusted with conducting online classes for students in schools facing acute teacher shortages. The initiative is intended to ensure that students' studies do not suffer due to the lack of subject teachers. 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 government-aided secondary schools has been sent to the state government. He added that discussions with NIOS are underway to develop a practical framework for implementation....