Education shakeup leaves classrooms empty

The swift actions of Abbottabad's District Education Department have raised concerns, as extensive transfers and reshuffles carried out under the guise of "rationalisation" have left many teachers without assignments.

Of nearly 100 staff members whose posts were altered, the majority couldn't assume their new positions due to the absence of vacancies at the schools to which they were reassigned.

Sources told The Express Tribune that last year, the provincial Education Department justified transferring numerous teachers to remote schools based on student enrolment policies, often penalising junior staff. This year, the same rationale has been applied once again, resulting in the transfer of almost 100 teachers, despite persistent staffing shortages at the schools from which they were moved, they added.

A notable example is Nawan Shehr Higher Secondary School, from which four teachers were transferred. However, due to insufficient staffing and the lack of required posts at the receiving schools, they could not be deployed.

As per official norms, the school requires 15 CT teachers; before the transfers, only 12 were in post. Following the reshuffle, this number has fallen to just eight.

Significantly, this historic high school accommodates over 800 students. Four teaching positions and one naib qasid (support staff) post have long remained vacant.

Furthermore, a junior clerk has been detailed to the District Education Office for nearly a year, despite the practice being intended to last no more than three months. As a result, the school now faces a shortfall of 10 staff members across multiple cadres, including SST, SCT, CT, JC, and DM.

Transferred teachers have submitted formal requests to the department, highlighting the staffing gaps at their former schools and urging a reconsideration of their transfers. They expressed hope that the authorities would review the orders in accordance with government regulations and policies.

It is noteworthy that, across the entire province, only Abbottabad district has witnessed such a large-scale transfer of teachers, sparking widespread concern among educational staff.