Daily Times

The Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) is set to fill over 1,200 vacant teaching positions across its 432 educational institutions that that have been vacant for many years.

As per information obtained by Daily Times, the FDE administration has forwarded a summary to Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) for the recruitment of 1,179 teachers in grade 16 to 19 posts. Subsequently, the commission has started the process.

Moreover, the directorate also approved the proposal for the appointment of 91 Elementary School Teachers (ESTs) in Basic Pay Scale (BPS-14). After completion of all required formalities, the FDE plans to conduct the written test of these positions on today (Sunday). The documents revealed that the FDE has total 9,040 sanctioned posts for teaching staff against various cadres. The 822 slots have been provided for F.G set up of colleges and 1,645 for model colleges and 6,573 positions were specified for schools of the FDE.

Out of this sanctioned teaching strength of 9,040, as per documents, 1,633 slots remained vacant for years which included as 296 educators in F.G colleges, 366 in model colleges and 971 in schools of the directorate.

Moreover, as for as academic background of the currently working teachers from BPS-14 to BPS-20 in FDE institutes across the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) is concerned, as many as the 15 teachers having PhDs degrees, 399 with M.Phil/M.S degrees and 4,463 such staffers possessed with Masters/BS degree. Despite repeated attempts, DG FDE Syed Junaid Ikhlaq did not respond. However, Secretary Ministry of Federal Education Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani said that apart from aforementioned planned hiring, the ministry took some other measures as well to fulfill the teaching deficiencies in ICT’s educational institutes.

“The services of 200 teachers and Assistant Teachers have been engaged as part of a project,” he told this Correspondent, adding that 120 teacher fellows have been engaged through a project ‘Teach for Pakistan fellows’.

Moreover, he added, the around 75 coding fellows have been engaged for teaching coding, robotics and Artificial Inelegance (AI).

The Secretary further explained that the ministry has also decided to appoint trainers for IT related education, adding that a PC-1 is being prepared for the recruitment of 150 tech fellows for providing IT related training/teaching which, he said, will definitely enhance the capabilities among the students.

According to the secretary, services of around 50 teachers have been availed on deputation basis which is helpful to fill the teaching shortage gape temporarily.

As many as 200 teachers provided from an NGO, Developments in Literacy (DIL), he said, adding that another such NGO Right to Play provided sports coaches in different institutes. He recalled that services of a dozen teachers have been engaged through Progressive Education Network (PEN).

Mohyuddin Wani further stated that centers for Out of School Children (OOSC) are operating in the evening in 41 schools across the ICT.

To reply a question, he said that the unavailability of teaching staff in FDE institutions is a critical issue that significantly impacts the quality of education and overall functioning of the schools and colleges under our administration. While several efforts have been made to recruit and place qualified educators, challenges such as administrative delays, budget constraints, and the increasing demand for teachers, especially in rural and underserved areas, continue to hamper progress.

Earlier, the education ministry has regularised services of 137 daily-wage teachers fall in non-gazetted category while services of 238 gazetted teachers have been confirmed by the FPSC.

The said 137 daily-wage teachers were confirmed following the recommendation issued in 2013 by a subcommittee of the cabinet which was headed by PPP leader Syed Khurshid Shah.