Punjab govt to rationalise number of teachers in schools from March 1

Rawalpindi: Uncertainty and tension has mounted in the minds of teachers working in educational institutions of Punjab following the decision of provincial government to rationalise their numbers in schools.‘The News’ learnt through credible sources, that the policy to rationalise the number of working teachers is going to be enforced from March 1, this year. The reason behind it is that the Punjab government believes that the number of serving teachers in primary schools is surplus by 20 per cent. In order to curtail the number of teachers it wants to adopt rationalise system in schools.With the rationalising policy one teachers would be teaching 40 students and the total number of teachers in one educational institution would not be more than 6. Each teacher would be asked to teach different subjects instead of one subject to 40 students enrolled in a class. According to this new system, the teachers would be relieved from posts and would be kept in surplus category. They would only be accommodated when one serving teachers retires or leave his job. The vacant posts would not be filled by new intending candidate who are willing to serve in schools.This decision to be adopted from March 1 this year, has created tension, anxiety among all teachers related with Punjab schools. It would certainly create burden on them to teach different subjects to 40 students instead of one or two in a day, the teachers expressed their concern while talking to this correspondent on anonymity condition. Apart from it the rationalise system would result in unemployment of teachers which in other words is downsizing policy, they said.They while disagreeing the fact of government about 20 per cent surplus said that there is already shortage of teachers by 40 per cent and instead of recruiting filling the vacuum the government is deciding in other way by further curtailing the number of serving teachers through new rationalise policy. With the rationalise system, the shortage of teachers in Punjab schools would touch to 60 per cent. Teaching different subjects by one teacher is a very difficult task, the teachers argued.At the same time, the president of All Punjab Teachers Union, Saghir Aalam also expressed concern over rationalise policy of government in Punjab educational institutions. We fully oppose this new system and had also conveyed this to the concerned high officials in the Punjab government about the decision during negotiations. However, our proposals not to implement new system have been ignored and the rationalise policy is about to get enforced next month.The teachers Union would hold a meeting to discuss the matter and would also adopt strategy which would include protests and demonstrations all over Punjab. Boycott of classes is also possible to mark our resentments during protests, he cleared.

from The News International - National https://ift.tt/2SrJ1Ge