Govt urged to address teachers’ shortage

HARIPUR/ABBOTABAD:

The Government High School in Karpilian Ladhar Mang, Haripur, has been facing a shortage of teaching staff, for the past three years, raising apprehensions about the future of its students.

Local residents, led by Majid Khan, Chairman of Karpilian Welfare, and accompanied by Zubair Khan, Fakhar Zaman and Arif Khan, visited Deputy Commissioner Haripur’s office to voice their concerns about a long-term absence of science teachers at the school, highlighting the impact on students’ education.

The District Education Officer (DEO) Male Haripur acknowledged the situation but identified a lack of funds as the main obstacle to hiring more staff.

Displaying their commitment, the local residents volunteered to provide financial assistance for recruiting teachers on a temporary basis.

The DEO expressed gratitude for this support and commended the proactive approach taken by the local community to address the issue.

The delegation, while talking to this correspondent voiced their concerns and highlighted the dire need for immediate action.

"Our area is an underdeveloped region and we feel neglected. Now, we have decided to unite and bring our issues to the forefront. We seek the cooperation of the media in highlighting our problems," stated the delegation.

They demanded that the government look into their issues and take permanent measures to address the shortage of teaching staff, emphasising the benefits this would bring to both the school and the economically disadvantaged community in the area.

Funds for schools’ closure

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Education Department has released funds worth Rs331.330 million to cover the salaries of both teaching and non-teaching staff across 25 districts in the province.

The move comes in response to a pressing issue within the educational landscape, where several second-shift schools were forced to shut down due to the prolonged delay in salary payments.

These 25 districts include Haripur, Abbottabad, Battagram, Mansehra, Torghar, Peshawar, Mardan, Nowshera, Sawabi, Shangla, Swat, Tank, Bannu, Boneer, Charsadda, Lower Chitral, Upper Chitral, Dir Lower, Dir Upper, DI Khan, Hangu, Karak, Kohat, Laki Marwat, and Malakand.

For a detailed breakdown of the disbursement, within the Hazara division, an amount of Rs52.539 million was allocated for male and female staff across five districts.

In Abbottabad district, Rs13.572 million have been released, with Rs12.138 million for male staffers and Rs1.434 million for female employees.

Similarly, in Battagram district, a sum of Rs5.492 million has been disbursed, with Rs4.253 million for male staff and Rs5.239 million for female staff.

In district Haripur, Rs3.09 million have been allocated, with Rs2.589 million for male staff and Rs0.501 million for female staff.

District Mansehra received the most significant portion of the budget, with Rs26.844 million allocated for both male and female second-shift staff.

The disruption in the second-shift classes within government schools in KP has been a growing concern, as teachers had reportedly ceased their instruction due to the non-payment of salaries.

It’s worth noting that the provincial education department initiated the second-shift classes in September 2021, aiming to boost education and decrease the dropout rate.

Schools with an enrollment rate exceeding 60% were included in this initiative. Currently, between 80,000 to 100,000 students attend these afternoon classes.