Trip to the headmaster’s office: Forty-three schoolteachers face disciplinary action

Teachers allegedly marked attendance sheets despite being missing.

KOHISTAN: At least 43 school teachers of Kohistan are set to face disciplinary action after District Education Officer Riasat Khan found them violating the code of conduct by remaining absent from duty.

Sources in the education department, said the officer discovered that some of the teachers, mostly male, were continuously absent and yet they marked attendance sheets, enabling them to draw salaries.

“Performance was strictly monitored over the last few months and when they failed to mend their ways, the DEO served them show-cause notices,” said Kohistan Sub-Divisional Education Officer Tanvir Ahmed.

He said the dissatisfactory replies prompted the department to hold their salaries for the period they remained absent. Ahmed said those facing action included  Assistant District Education Officer Palas Mufti Mehmood, Superintendent Officer Jawad and Naib Qasid Khursheed, who had been missing from duty for over a month.

The official added that the teachers could face action ranging from their increments being stopped to compulsory retirement by asking them to tender resignations or face legal action.

The sub divisional officer said the government was looking to fill the vacant posts of teachers as it was committed to increasing the literacy rate in Kohistan.

When asked, the district education officer confirmed the disciplinary action against the absent teachers.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 19^th,2014.