Educational Emergency Fails To Curb Ghost Teachers In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

(MENAFN- Tribal News Network) Even after a decade of the declared educational emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the education department remains plagued by inefficiencies, particularly in the form of ghost teachers. A significant number of teachers across various schools in the province are perpetually absent from their duties.

In the merged districts, hundreds of teachers from different cadres have been missing from their posts for extended periods. Many of these educators are reportedly engaged in personal businesses while still drawing government salaries. In one tribal district alone, over 250 teachers have faced various punitive actions for consistent absenteeism.

Sources reveal that the education department has finally initiated action against hundreds of long-absent teachers in North Waziristan. The targeted teachers include primary school teachers, certified teachers (CT), drawing masters, senior CTs, physical education teachers (PET), theology teachers (TT), and religious instructors (Qari), among others.

Also Read: Peshawar's Green Fields Turn to Concrete as Housing Societies Expand

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Education Department has dismissed 92 teachers who were persistently absent from government schools in North Waziristan. These teachers had received multiple show-cause notices from the department. Despite repeated notifications and warnings from the Education Monitoring Authority, the teachers failed to respond and continued their absenteeism, leading to their eventual dismissal.

In addition to the dismissals, the department has imposed salary freezes on 53 teachers for three years and stopped the annual salary increments of 89 teachers for one year. Further action has been recommended against 26 teachers of grades above 16, with letters sent to the Directorate of Education and the Secretariat.

The monitoring report highlighted that teachers in several government schools in North Waziristan's Tehsils-Mir Ali, Miranshah, Ghulam Khan, Dossali, Shewa, Razmak, Spinwam, and Datta Khel-had been frequently absent without permission. Many of these teachers are believed to be conducting business or working abroad while still receiving government salaries.

The Education Monitoring Authority's report confirmed that during multiple school visits, these teachers were consistently absent. Despite being flagged several times for their absenteeism, these teachers remained unresponsive to the department's notices. Consequently, the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa suspended them under Rule 11 of the employees' regulations and issued show-cause notices to the delinquents.

District Education Officer North, Dilawar Khan, stated that show-cause notices were issued following the directives of Deputy Commissioner Manzoor Afridi and military officials. He assured that no teacher would be unfairly treated, and all would be allowed to present their case.

This crackdown on ghost teachers is a critical step towards addressing the longstanding issues in the education sector of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, it also underscores the need for continuous monitoring and reforms to ensure accountability and improve the quality of education in the province.

MENAFN06072024000189011041ID1108412577