SED set to enforce rationalisation policy

Sources say purpose of reshuffling is to improve quality of education, results

LAHORE: The Punjab School Education Department (SED) is all set to enforce a rationalisation policy which will lead to the transfer of thousands of teachers across the province.

In this regard, SED advised all the district education authorities to forward the data of teachers and students at approximately 45,000 schools in the province. The transfers will begin from next week.

Sources within the school department maintained that there are thousands of schools within the province that have additional staff compared to the number of enrolled children. Similarly, there is a multitude of schools with a large number of students, but an insufficient number of staff.



By enforcing the rationalisation policy, we will transfer individuals to maintain an average number of teachers and students, stated a senior official from SED, requesting anonymity.

According to the policy, there should be a single teacher for 50 students at the primary level and three teachers for 90 students.

At the middle school level, there should be at least four to five teachers for 120 students. Further, there should be around three to four senior teachers for class nine and 10, the official added.

“The purpose of this reshuffle is to improve the quality of education and overall results,” the official said. A direction has been issued to the education chief executive officers to forward this data to the department, it was revealed.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Teachers’ Union (PTU) has voiced concerns about enforcing the rationalisation policy.

“Why did the government not enforce this policy at the start of the year or when the academic session began?” asked PTU Secretary Rana Liaqat.

Seven months have passed since the academic year began. It will disturb students and the learning process if new teachers assume posts in the middle of the year, he reasoned.



“Secondly, why is the government not recruiting teachers for those schools which are facing a shortage?” the secretary questioned.

“Moreover, there should be one additional teacher at every school so that the learning process is not disturbed if an individual is absent or has to go on leave,” Liaqat proposed.

He said they are planning a rebuttal to the rationalisation policy which will be discussed with the education minister.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 26^th, 2018.