PATNA, Aug. 5 -- Bihar has 3,331 schools with just one or two teachers and 29 schools without any teacher, while there are 14,213 schools with parent-teacher ratio of above 40, says the education department report. This came to light during review done by additional chief secretary (education) S Siddharth to assess teachers' strength in various schools after recent transfers under special circumstances. Interestingly, Patna, the state capital where teachers usually vie for posting, has the second highest number of 57 single teacher schools and 383 two teacher schools, only behind Banka with 65 single-teacher and 413 two teacher schools in the state. In a latter to all the district education officers (DEOs), Siddharth on Monday wrote to DEOs to make temporary deputation in schools after assessing the requirements locally. "It came to light during review that after recent transfers and posting, some schools have been rendered teacher-less, while some have been left with just one or two teachers," he wrote. Siddharth also made it clear that every primary school must have a minimum of three teachers, while secondary and higher secondary schools should have subject wise teachers. However, the deficiencies would be removed soon, as the Bihar government is in the process of issuing notification for Teachers' Recruitment Examination (TRE-4) for over one-lakh vacancies within a week or so in yet another job push ahead of Assembly election. "We will soon take a decision for which subjects the exam has to be taken due to shortage of teachers and send the requisition to the BPSC, which will conduct the test," said education minister Sunil Kumar last week. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had on July 16 directed the education department to identify teachers' vacancy at the earliest to intitate the process for holding exams for recruitment, with 35% reservation for women. However, there is still uncertainty if the Secondary Teachers' Eligibility Test (STET) would be held before TRE-4 to give more eligible candidates the opportunity. The department of education had earlier written to the Bihar School Examination Board to hold for STET, but that is still awaited. BSEB conducts STET, which has been held three times so far - in 2011, 2019/2020 and 2023. The government had announced to hold STET twice a year in 2024. There had been growing demands for holding STET, which is mandatory for candidates aspiring to teach in secondary and higher secondary schools, before TRE-4 so that more aspirant could get the job opportunity. The education department had earlier given its go ahead to the BSEB for STET. The Opposition RJD has also demanded STET before TRE-4. All candidates with a graduation or post-graduation degree and B.Ed degree are eligible for STET to become teachers in secondary and higher secondary schools (Class 9-12). STET has two papers - one for secondary level and another for higher secondary level....