Public schools: PEEDA to be invoked against head teachers

EDOs have been asked to assess performance of schools in their districts and submit reports

LAHORE: The School Education Department (SED) has ordered action against heads of public schools with poor performance in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability Act (PEEDA) 2006.

According to a letter issued to executive district officers (EDOs) on August 17, the director of public instruction of the SED said, “The School Education Department has desired that the heads of the institutions showing good results be awarded appreciation letters...and heads [of schools] with poor performance be dealt with under the PEEDA Act 2006 as per previous practice.”

The department has sent a form in this regard to the EDOs to fill. The SED prepared seven categories for schools according to their results. Category I consists of schools where no student appeared for the SSC exams, whereas category II, III, IV, V, VI and VII marked according to the pass percentage of schools. Category VII comprises of schools with 80 per cent or better results. The EDOs have been asked to submit the forms to the department within 10 days.

The letter states: “Submit the names of the heads of the institutions who have shown poor results in the SSC exams 2016.” It asks the EDOs to submit the form within 10 days after declaration of results for further necessary action. Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) across the province declared results of SSC Part 1 examinations on August 20.

Around 50 per cent candidates passed the BISE examinations in Lahore this year. Of these, 63.22 per cent were successful in the Science Group and 56.48 per cent in Humanities Group.

As many as 70,262 boys and 53,141 girls appeared in the science group. Pass percentage for boys was 52.52 per cent and for girls, 68.77 per cent.

Sahiwal and Gujranwala boards also had around 50 per cent pass percentage in the SSC Part 1 examination.

An official of the SED said this year, the SSC Part 1 results were poor. He said action was being sought against principles with poor performing schools.

“The department is collecting information in this regard from various districts. We expect the forms to be submitted to us by August 30,” he said.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Punjab Teachers’ Union general secretary Rana Liaqat said it was unfortunate that the government was penalising teachers instead of addressing the problem of crowded classrooms.

“Teachers in most public schools are overburdened. The government should look into hiring more teachers instead of penalising them.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25^th, 2016.