Teacher trials: Dozens of schools shut down due to lack of staff
Officials say most teachers transfer out of smaller districts.
MULTAN:
Over 38 schools have been deserted in the Jalalpur Peerwala sub-district of Multan for the past four years.
According to officials, the major reason behind the closed schools is nepotism and favouritism with regards to the transfer of female teachers working in the schools.
“Six or seven years ago this area had some of the highest figures of girl students enrolled at the primary and middle levels but now it is a wasteland,” said a guard at a girls school Haroon. Locals have said that the main reason behind the closure of the schools is political and administrative favouritism. “Female teachers don’t want to teach in the smaller districts and they are often posted out of here within weeks of their arrival,” said a former school teacher Nabila Zia. School authorities and parents of students have complained that the Education Department has not tackled the problem. “The problem isn’t just teachers,” said tehsil municipal administration (TMA) official Javed Qazim, adding “Some of the buildings have been converted into cowsheds by local landlords and others are being used to house their furniture.” “We have been trying to recover the property but it is made extremely difficult given that many of these men have political backing,” he said.
Recently, Punjab Education Secretary Aslam Kamboh issued orders that no teachers would be transferred if there was already a scarcity of teachers in the area. “This rule is openly being violated and rather than having more schools open, we have more of them being shut down,” said Government girls school principal Nasreen Bajwa. “The situation is getting out of hand. Scores of students can be seen sitting outside and taking lessons from untrained teachers, while the school buildings lie vacant,” Bajwa said.
Locals say that many of the school buildings have been used for private purposes and some have even been rented out. “During the floods the schools were being used to house flood victims and that still made sense but now they are being used as marriage halls,” said a resident Nazila. Teachers and parents have complained that it has become increasingly difficult to promote education in the district. “Given the state of things many parents have begun pulling their kids out of school. They see it as a waste of time,” said school teacher Bushra Anjum, adding “I cannot blame them because most of the time an entire school consists of only 20 students.”
“When the school I taught at closed down I refused to transfer like others. I now teach outside the school building under a tree,” she said.
“There is no stability. There are schools with only 20 students and others with over 200 students and in both cases there are only one or two teachers,” said former principal of Government Model Boys School, Suleman Haji.
“Most teachers want to be posted to bigger cities and sometimes they just quit without notice and the school remains closed for weeks,” Haji said, adding that in a school in Daaraab Pur over 270 students were being taught by one teacher.
Speaking to The Express Tribune Multan EDO (Education) Afzal Javed said that the media was blowing the situation out of proportion.
“As far as I know only six schools are closed and that is because they are hiring new staff,” he said.
Parents and students have appealed to the Punjab chief minister to take notice of the situation.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 22nd, 2011.
Over 38 schools have been deserted in the Jalalpur Peerwala sub-district of Multan for the past four years.
According to officials, the major reason behind the closed schools is nepotism and favouritism with regards to the transfer of female teachers working in the schools.
“Six or seven years ago this area had some of the highest figures of girl students enrolled at the primary and middle levels but now it is a wasteland,” said a guard at a girls school Haroon. Locals have said that the main reason behind the closure of the schools is political and administrative favouritism. “Female teachers don’t want to teach in the smaller districts and they are often posted out of here within weeks of their arrival,” said a former school teacher Nabila Zia. School authorities and parents of students have complained that the Education Department has not tackled the problem. “The problem isn’t just teachers,” said tehsil municipal administration (TMA) official Javed Qazim, adding “Some of the buildings have been converted into cowsheds by local landlords and others are being used to house their furniture.” “We have been trying to recover the property but it is made extremely difficult given that many of these men have political backing,” he said.
Recently, Punjab Education Secretary Aslam Kamboh issued orders that no teachers would be transferred if there was already a scarcity of teachers in the area. “This rule is openly being violated and rather than having more schools open, we have more of them being shut down,” said Government girls school principal Nasreen Bajwa. “The situation is getting out of hand. Scores of students can be seen sitting outside and taking lessons from untrained teachers, while the school buildings lie vacant,” Bajwa said.
Locals say that many of the school buildings have been used for private purposes and some have even been rented out. “During the floods the schools were being used to house flood victims and that still made sense but now they are being used as marriage halls,” said a resident Nazila. Teachers and parents have complained that it has become increasingly difficult to promote education in the district. “Given the state of things many parents have begun pulling their kids out of school. They see it as a waste of time,” said school teacher Bushra Anjum, adding “I cannot blame them because most of the time an entire school consists of only 20 students.”
“When the school I taught at closed down I refused to transfer like others. I now teach outside the school building under a tree,” she said.
“There is no stability. There are schools with only 20 students and others with over 200 students and in both cases there are only one or two teachers,” said former principal of Government Model Boys School, Suleman Haji.
“Most teachers want to be posted to bigger cities and sometimes they just quit without notice and the school remains closed for weeks,” Haji said, adding that in a school in Daaraab Pur over 270 students were being taught by one teacher.
Speaking to The Express Tribune Multan EDO (Education) Afzal Javed said that the media was blowing the situation out of proportion.
“As far as I know only six schools are closed and that is because they are hiring new staff,” he said.
Parents and students have appealed to the Punjab chief minister to take notice of the situation.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 22nd, 2011.