The Punjab School Education Department has abolished 43,960 teaching posts across all categories after completing the "rationalisation process", declaring them surplus.
The move has sparked strong protests from teachers' unions.
According to official data, the number of government schools has also dropped to 42,470 after the sale of 10,652 schools.
Among the abolished posts are 53 seats of Secondary School Teachers (SST, scale 16), 283 seats of Senior Elementary School Educators (SESE) and Elementary School Teachers (EST, scale 15), and 43,624 posts of Primary School Teachers (scale 14).
A circular has been issued confirming the cancellation of these posts.
The department has also announced that all primary and middle schools will be privatised by June 30, 2026. Teachers' rationalisation in schools is set to begin in September.
Punjab Teachers Union and Educators Association have rejected the decision.
Leaders Rana Liaqat, Basharat Iqbal Raja, Shafiq Bhalwalya, and Malik Amjad said the government has destroyed the education system in Punjab. They warned that selling schools will make education expensive, while abolishing posts will increase unemployment.
Teachers' protests are scheduled to begin on Monday, August 18, with the start of ninth and tenth grade classes.
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