The Punjab government has introduced a significant plan to deal with the lack of teachers in schools. They aim to recruit 30,000 visiting teachers in the first phase. Currently, the School Education Department (SED) in the province is short of 115,000 teachers. The last big hiring of schoolteachers happened in 2018 under the PML-N government. During the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party’s time, about 400 to 500 appointments were made, mainly in Murree and Mianwali districts.
The PTI government brought in a hiring process similar to the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) and introduced College Teaching Interns (CTIs) to fill college vacancies. Recent graduates could apply for CTI positions, offering a monthly salary of Rs25,000.
Sources in the SED suggest that the current government plans to hire 30,000 schoolteachers on a visiting basis. They will be paid based on the number of lectures they deliver. The government will provide extra funds to school councils to cover visiting teachers’ salaries. Additionally, these councils will raise funds for other school expenses.
Rana Liaqat, the General Secretary of the Punjab Teachers Union (PTU), urges the government to make permanent hires in the school department to address the teacher shortage effectively. Liaqat believes permanent recruitment is the best solution to solve the lack of teaching staff. He also worries about the challenges hiring visiting teachers might bring to schools.
