Ascertaining the requirements of more teachers in schools across Punjab, the Punjab Education Department has successfully implemented the rationalisation plan, under the directives of Provincial Education Minister Dr Murad Raas. According to reports, more than 25,000 surplus teachers have been rationalised to the schools where they were actually needed, as an attempt to balance the ratio between teachers and students.
Rationalisation of Schoolteachers is a process which solely aims at resolving the issues of surplus teachers in various schools. This project was completed online through SIS App in two phases. In the first phase, vacant seats of teacher were filled in. And in the subsequent phase, excessive teachers were shuffled from one school to another, where staff was inadequate as per the students’ strength.
According to the process, a primary school should have at least three teachers; schools with up to 130 students will have four teachers; and those with up to 180 students will have five teachers. Similarly, at least six teachers will be deputed to schools with up to 230 students, and seven with up to 280 students. The number of teachers will go up to eight for a school that enrolls up to 330 students.
The rationalisation process will increase the number of teachers in 90 per cent of the schools. As per this decision, there will be an equal workload on teachers, and students will get proper attention of the teachers, and further improvements will be witnessed in the primary level education system of Punjab. More teachers will also be hired for remaining schools, with the sole objective of making education system easier, transparent and effective.
This plan, however, has been rejected by the surplus teachers, who are feeling insecure these days and not ready to be transferred to other schools, located at no less than 12 miles of distance. They have demanded implementation of the internationally acceptable teacher-student ratio of 1:20. They have also warned that teachers across the province will stage a sit-in outside the Punjab Assembly if their demands were not met. However, these demands are nothing but an impediment in the way of efforts to bring improvement in the school education system in Punjab.
Waseem Shabbir
Gujranwala
Published in The Express Tribune, August 29th, 2020.
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