LAHORE:
The education of students of matriculation across the province has been affected because of the unavailability of teachers in schools as most of them are engaged in training for election duties.
Around 250,000 teachers from all districts of Punjab have been assigned duties related to the general elections scheduled for February 8 and they are not attending the schools because of the poll training.
The academic activities in the schools have been badly affected, but the worst sufferers because of the absence of teachers are the students of matriculation whose annual exams will begin on March 1.
The problem has emerged at a time when a prolonged and intense cold wave in Punjab had already disrupted the academic activities with a large number students are suffering from pneumonia, fever and chest infection.
Thousands of students of government high schools are set to appear in the annual matriculation exam this year.
All the Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) in the province had already announced the matriculation exams schedule. As per the schedule, the exams will begin on March 1 across the province.
Read Schoolteacher kidnapped, murdered
A teacher pointed out while speaking to The Express Tribune that the last weeks of the academic year were very important for the exam preparations.
However, nowadays, the classrooms are deserted and most of the teaches are absent from the schools to undergo training for the February 8 elections.
Around 250,000 government schoolteachers have been assigned election duties in all districts to serve as presiding, assistant presiding and polling officers.
The teachers have also been given the responsibilities to collect the election material before the polling day. Beside the duty on the election day, they will be responsible to submit the results after counting the votes.
They are currently undergoing training to perform the election duties despite the crucial time for the matriculation exams preparation.
A government schoolteacher, Haroon Khan, said, “We had conducted special sessions last year for the exam preparations and also organized tests but this year we have no time due to the election training.”
Read Girls’ education : Demand surges for female teachers
He said the harsh weather had also disturbed academic activities.
He expressed fear that the disruption of academic activities and this juncture might adversely affect the results of the students.
Punjab Teachers Union Secretary General Rana Liaqat Ali said, “There already was a shortage of 100,000 teaches in government schools of the province and now 90 per cent of the teaches were engaged in election duties.”
He said then teachers were doing their best to manage the academic activities, but fulfilling the duties assigned by the government was also their responsibility. The government should also consider the effect of the prevailing situation on the students, he added.
The teacher said the department concerned also lacked funds required to make heating arrangements for classrooms during the severely cold weather.
A matriculation student, Awais Arsalan, said the schools had earlier been closed due to the winter and smog, while now the teachers were absent for the election training.
“Our future depends on good results in matriculation, so we should be given time after the elections to complete the course and prepare for the exams,” he added
Published in The Express Tribune, January 25th, 2024.
