When policy ignores paychecks

Sindh's government raised the minimum wage to Rs43,000 this year. On paper, that should mean that all workers unequivocally receive a basic level of dignity in their salaries. But unfortunately, for nearly 30,000 teachers in schools that are funded by the Sindh Education Foundation, it hasn't changed much. Many teachers are still earning barely Rs10,000 to Rs15,000 a month - nowhere even near what the law requires.

This is not a minor oversight without significant consequences. The gap between what is required and what is paid is the difference between a family living paycheck to paycheck and one that can afford some sense of stability. In Pakistan's private school sector, we already know what happens when teachers are underpaid and overworked. They burn out, leave after some time and disengage from their teaching practices. Classrooms become mere structures rather than nurturing, learning environments for students. Moreover, women make up the majority of these low-paid roles, when they're already battling a glass ceiling in most fields. Here, that barrier doesn't just limit how far they can rise, it pushes them further down and concentrates them in the most insecure and least valued jobs with little room to negotiate or move further.

The solution isn't complicated. SEF has already written the rules - it just needs to enforce them. Payroll audits should be as routine and thorough as attendance checks. And if schools genuinely can't afford to pay fair wages, then the per-student funding model needs to be revisited. Public money meant for education shouldn't quietly depend on teachers accepting poverty wages. When that happens, it's not efficiency - it's simply exploitation that is dressed up as policy. There must also be clear timelines, transparent reporting and consequences for non-compliance, so that violations are not normalised and teachers are not left waiting indefinitely for rights already guaranteed to them.