As Koppal district's government schools reopen for the new academic year, they are grappling with a significant teacher shortage, with 3,192 vacancies reported across primary and high schools. Currently, primary schools have only 3,697 teachers against 6,243 sanctioned posts, leaving 2,546 vacancies. High schools are also facing a deficit of 646 teachers, with only 1,090 currently employed out of 1,736 sanctioned positions. Parents are increasingly worried that this shortage will disrupt classroom learning, especially as students return from summer vacation. Despite government authorization to appoint guest teachers starting June 1, the process has not yet been implemented. This delay is particularly concerning for single-teacher schools, which are expected to rise from 102 last year, as these institutions often combine multiple grades in one classroom. The allocation of teachers is based on student strength, leading to imbalances where some classes lack dedicated teachers. Parents argue that this situation is forcing many to consider private schooling, contributing to a decline in government school enrollment. The Deputy Director of Public Instruction, Somasekharagouda Patil, stated that guest teacher appointments would depend on student numbers and that only trained candidates would be selected for these roles.