Islamabad, March 12 – Around 20,000 teachers working in 4,300 schools under the Punjab Education Initiatives Management Authority (PEIMA) in Pakistan have not received their salaries for the past three months, causing financial difficulties for them, local media reported.
Many teachers are considering quitting their jobs due to the non-payment of salaries, which could lead to the closure of schools and impact the education of nearly 600,000 students. Teachers and school administrations said that the salaries for PEIMA partner schools for January, February, and March remain outstanding, making it difficult for the schools to pay their staff and manage their expenses. They warned that the delay has forced many teachers to consider quitting their jobs in order to have a stable income, according to Dawn, Pakistan's leading daily.
Education experts said that the shortage of teachers could affect academic activities in thousands of schools and jeopardize the future of students studying under the program if the issue is not addressed by the authorities. The teachers complained that they had been assured each week that payments would be released soon, but the continued delay has worsened their financial situation and impacted their household expenses. They warned that they would stage a protest if their three-month salaries are not released before Eid.
Speaking to Dawn, PEIMA Chief Executive Officer Imtiaz Shahid Gondal revealed that salaries up to January had been released, and that the authorities were working on processing the release of salaries for February, which he said were expected to be disbursed within the next five to seven days.
Last month, a government report revealed that 26.2 million children in Pakistan still remain out of school.
Pakistan's Federal Ministry of Education and Professional Training released the 'Girls’ Education Statistics and Trends Report 2023-24', which revealed the number of children who remain out of school, according to Dawn.
According to the report, 26.2 million children remain out of school, including 3.4 million girls. The report also highlighted funding issues, noting that Pakistan's education financing had weakened with the national education share decreasing from 13 per cent to 11 per cent, and most provinces reducing their funding, especially Punjab and Sindh.
The report revealed that 19 per cent of schools are equipped with digital tools. In addition, 23 per cent of schools have installed ramps for students with disabilities, but the schools lack adequate specialized learning materials.
During the launch of the report, Pakistan's Federal Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui stated that the primary school completion rate for girls has increased to 89 per cent.
