With 85,622 vacant posts, lack of incentives, education needs rethinking. PHOTO: FILE
The appointment of teachers in the public sector in Pakistan is a controversial subject. Statistics reflecting the dismal state of government-employed teachers were discussed in the report launch ceremony of ‘Status of Teachers in Pakistan-2013’ at the Academy of Education Planning and Management on Monday.
According to the report, around 85,622 posts for teachers are vacant in Pakistan’s public schools against the 570,000 sanctioned posts.
Statistically speaking, the highest shortage was recorded in Punjab, with 61,916 vacant posts, followed by 13,515 in Khyber-Pukhtunkhwa, 8,334 in Balochistan, 1,355 in the Federal Administered Tribal Areas and 502 in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).
Besides, there is a need to improve standards of education at school level and to implement transparent mechanisms ensuring that the recruitment of teachers is done on merit, rather than political basis.
Factors cited in the report which dissuade potential entrants in the profession are low salaries, lack of incentives, inappropriate work environment and social taboos.
ITA Programmes Director Baela Raza Jamil stated that the salary differential for teachers in the public sector amounted to 10-15 times lesser than those in the private sector schools.
The report revealed that despite development in the country’s education system, not much has been done to narrow the gender gap. An excerpt states, “The presence and effectiveness of female teachers continues to be undermined on account of pervasive patriarchal customary practices, feudal and tribal traditions.”
However, the report also says that women dominate the teaching workforce in Punjab, representing 65 per cent of all teachers, while in Sindh they represent 52 per cent of teaching staff. The highest disparity was reported in Balochistan, with women making up only 36 per cent of teachers in the province.
Regarding the country’s aggregate teaching force, a marked rural-urban divide exists, with 57 per cent of teachers from rural areas, a slight increase over previous years, when it stood at 55 per cent.
The report also provides information about the current status of teachers in Pakistan, their presence and spread, working conditions and their influence on policymaking and programs. It also advocates for the rights of teachers who are working in institutions managed and funded by the armed forces, police, railways, departments of labour and Baitul Maal, among others.
Highlighting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), UNESCO Representative Dr Kazou Kay Nagata commented that efforts still need to be made to achieve the current MDGs.
“Article 25-A is a good starting point at this time, but how efforts should be expended is yet to be decided (by the provinces). Where the pay scale is concerned, it is not a problem exclusive to Pakistan --- it’s a global issue,” said Nagata. Furthermore, she suggested that gender equity and absenteeism must be dealt with.
Federal Directorate of Education Training Director Abdul Waheed remarked that there is a need to strictly follow the rationalisation formula in the capital, as most teachers want to be appointed in the urban zone, leaving many rural posts vacant.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 25th, 2014.
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