The Punjab government has decided to recruit 23,000 School Teacher Interns (STIs) for over 2,000 upgraded schools across the province. These schools were elevated over the past five years based on recommendations from members of the Provincial Assembly and local community leaders. According to sources in the Punjab education Department, the current government has also approved the Special Needs Education (SNE) for 781 schools, where STIs will also be placed to meet staffing requirements. Additionally, under the previous administration, 1,229 Primary schools were upgraded to elementary and high school levels. Among the upgraded institutions, 51 schools are located in Lahore alone. The recruitment process for the STIs is expected to commence in August this year, pending formal approval by the cabinet committee in the upcoming provincial budget. This large-scale recruitment drive aims to address the shortage of teaching staff, with more than 100,000 positions currently vacant across Punjab’s public schools. As part of the initial phase, 1,200 STIs will be placed in various schools ahead of the full recruitment rollout.