Education woes: Shortage of teachers a threat to public schools

G-B requires induction of more than 3,700 teachers in government schools, says official.

GILGIT:

Gilgit-Baltistan urgently requires the induction of more than 3,700 teachers in government schools, an official of G-B government told The Express Tribune on Saturday.

“The estimated shortage of teachers is well over 3,700 in the region, and needs to be covered immediately to save the education system,” said an official in the provincial government. He added that there were plans to induct more teachers at the start of the next financial year.

He said they feared if immediate attention is not paid to the issue, people might start enrolling their children in private schools, leaving the education department with only empty buildings to look after.

Another problem plaguing the education system in G-B is teachers’ propensity to get themselves transferred to urban areas from remote villages. The official said that scores of teachers inducted previously against vacancies in villages requested transfers to urban areas soon after.

Last month, the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly asked the government to send teachers back to the places where they were originally appointed. The implementation of the assembly order is yet to take place.

Sources in the education department said that the upgrading of a number of government schools is also needed in the comings years if the education requirements of the growing population of the region are to be fulfilled.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 03^rd, 2011