September 28, 2008	Sunday	Ramazan 27, 1429

RAWALPINDI, Sept 27: The Punjab government has allowed the district education department to appoint about 2400 school teachers on contract to meet the shortage of teaching staff, Dawn has learnt.

Executive District Officer (EDO) education Chaudhry Mohammad Yousaf, talking to Dawn, said the department would advertise the jobs soon after Eid-ul-Fitr and the recruitments would be made within a month.

He said the educators would be inducted on contract basis as the provincial government had done away with the policy of hiring regular teachers. The EDO attributed the shortage to creation of more schools, which attracted the teachers working on contract offering them good package.

Meanwhile, the education department has promoted 17 female school teachers to BPS 17 and appointed them as headmistresses in different schools.

The department has also promoted 16 male teachers to the posts of headmasters.

These promotions were due and would help the department manage the shortage of teaching staff.

The government should induct regular teachers as the contractual employees do not take much interest in teaching and always look for a better chance and leave the government school, said an officer-bearer of the teachers’ union at district level.

The officer-bearer desiring not to be named said the inductions on contract basis were made in 2006 when many irregularities were noticed and the subsequent inquiries resulted in the suspension of some low rank officials of education department.