Poor policies?: Rawalpindi education in doldrums

Minister plans new education policy before start of next academic year

RAWALPINDI: The education department has completely failed to achieve its annual targets for 2018 in Rawalpindi with student enrollment in public schools remaining significantly lower than the set goal while the double-shift model schools too saw lower admissions and poor learning outcomes amongst enrolled students.

On the other hand, the incoming Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has done little in the past 100-days to revamp education in public schools apart from transferring some teachers.

According to the recent education data released by the provincial government, Rawalpindi fell from its top ranking in 2017 to find itself among the bottom five in the district.

Around 350 schools of the district are currently operating without a headmaster or a principal while there were 2,300 posts for teachers lying vacant in these schools.

Primary schools in the district are without the services of a janitor even as the provincial education authorities closed down as many as 250 schools in the district under a rationalization scheme.

Teachers who worked as invigilators during exams have yet to receive their dues.

The data further shows that around half of all schools in the district operate without either science or computer labs. They also lack boundary walls.

There is a shortfall of non-teaching staff in these schools by about 20 per cent.

Moreover, teachers have staged protests and have gone on strike over the course of the year as they agitated for the fulfilment of their demands.

Even the retired teachers have been left with an axe to grind since their pensions have not been released. The retiring teachers have also not been deprived of a benevolent fund.

The authorities have also suspended funds and grant meant for the funeral of staff.

Despite the fact that the government announced its responsibility of providing uniforms and books to students free of cost, around 30 per cent of children could not be provided these facilities.

Punjab Teachers Union President Shahid Mubarak and Punjab SES Teachers Association President Muhammad Shafiq Bhalowalia said that the educational policies of the provincial government have failed miserably.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 3^rd, 2018.