One of the least discussed reasons for declining learning outcomes in public schools is the steady transformation of teachers into clerks. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, classroom teaching is increasingly overshadowed by paperwork, reporting requirements, data uploads, surveys and non-academic assignments.
As a teacher, I witness this daily. Teachers are expected to function simultaneously as instructors, administrators, record keepers and compliance officers. Time meant for lesson planning, student engagement and assessment is instead consumed by forms, registers and office directives. The result is predictable: learning loss.
This administrative overload is not a school-level inefficiency; it is a policy failure. Each new reform adds documentation without removing older requirements. Accountability is measured through files rather than student learning, creating an illusion of control while classrooms quietly deteriorate.
Education systems improve when teachers are trusted to teach, not buried under clerical work. If KP is serious about quality, it must reduce non-teaching duties and allow teachers to focus on educating students. When teachers become clerks, students pay the price.
Manzar Hassan
Peshawar
