Daily Times

In government schools across Punjab, more than 20,000 teachers are educated up to matriculation only, out of which 2,624 matriculated teachers are of Faisalabad division. The advancement in the field of primary education cannot be possible with unqualified teachers.  The annual results of government schools and the education and training of future architects entrusted to teachers with only matriculation certificates shows a dismal situation of the quality of education at the grassroot level.

According to school information system records, the educational qualification of 20,282 teachers in government schools in Punjab, Pakistan’s largest province, is matriculation only. So many matriculated teachers in government schools did not try to improve their academic ability later. They were limited to attending government schools and later receiving salaries from the same institutions. Similarly, the education department officials did not give any incentive to the teachers to enhance their academic qualifications and pursue further degrees nor did they issue any policy for further education.

According to school information system records, the number of matriculated teachers in government schools in Faisalabad district is 1,076. The number of such teachers in government schools in Jhang district is up to 688. In the third district of the division, Toba Tek Singh, 560 teachers of government schools have been identified whose academic qualifications are only matriculation. Even in the fourth district of Chiniot, the educational qualification of 205 teachers is only matriculation. What will be the future of the nation’s architects in such a situation? A big question mark has been raised on the quality of the education department and government schools.

Teachers in government schools cannot be laid off. Therefore, schools have to wait for their retirement in order to improve the situation of schools.

In this regard, Faisalabad Education Department officials said that the recruitment of teachers for matriculation was done under a policy. The aim of the policy was to recruit people who had only done their matriculation and then encourage and allow them to pursue further studies during their job. However, many of these teachers did not improve their academic ability and did not pay any attention to it.

In the past few years, however, educators being recruited are holders of a master’s degree. This  has improved the quality of government schools. An official said that those with matriculation qualification and intermediate qualification are offered various courses, however, these people are not interested in taking them.

Parents of students studying in government schools said that the teachers of government schools send their children to private schools. Anyone who can afford the fees of private educational institutions can never think of sending their children to public schools. The education department will now have to either lay off matriculation and intermediate pass teachers or offer teacher training programs to improve the quality of government schools.