Teacher shortage crisis hits public schools

RAWALPINDI:

The future of thousands of students is at stake as primary teachers’ positions have been lying vacant in government schools for some time and grade 4 employees are performing teaching nowadays.

There is not a single teacher posted in 567 primary schools across Punjab. The majority of schools in Rawalpindi and other districts are currently facing a dearth of primary teachers. Around 167 primary schools do not have a single student but the grade 4 employees of these schools are drawing salaries and miscellaneous expenses.

Official statistics available with The Express Tribune show that eight schools in the Rawalpindi district, three in Lahore, eight in Faisalabad, five in Gujranwala, nine in Gujarat, nine in Jhelum, six in Attock, eight in Chakwal, four in Multan, 43 in Bahawalnagar, five in Bahawalpur, 20 in Rahim Yar Khan, 40 in Dera Ghazi Khan 40, four in Layyah, Muzaffargarh, Jhang each, six in Rajanpur, 14 in Khanewal, 14 in Mianwali, 17 in Sargodha, 11 in Sahiwal, 14 in Vihari, eight in Kasur, five in Sheikhupura, Khushab, Toba Tek Singh, Bhakar District each, 11 in Okara, 10 in Sialkot, and seven in Chiniot district have no primary teachers.

Owing to a shortage of teachers, students of these schools were cleared without the annual examinations held in March this year. Of these, 281 primary schools are for girls. According to the provincial Ministry of Education's (MoE) survey, the department concerned failed to appoint teachers due to the shortage and some available primary teachers have already got themselves transferred to the cities. Around 20 to 422 students are studying in these schools.

Punjab Teachers Union’s central secretary general Rana Liaquat and Punjab SES Teachers Association Secretary Muhammad Shafique Bhalwalia say there is a shortage of 231,000 teachers in 47,000 government schools across Punjab as no new teachers have been recruited in the last 10 years.

They urged the government to recruit fresh teachers through the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) and appoint at least two teachers against vacant positions in all schools so that summer vacation homework could be given to students before summer vacations expected to start on June 3.

Published in The Express Tribune May 11^th, 2024.