PESHAWAR: As the elementary and secondary education department is striving to overcome the deep rooted issue of teachers’ absenteeism in government schools, around 5,000 teachers remained absent from duty on daily basis across the province during May, according to sources.

Another 15,000 teachers were not available in schools on daily basis as they were on sanctioned leave, examination duties and other official engagements, sources said. Similarly, around 1,300 teachers were recorded to be latecomers to their respective schools, they added.

The astounding daily absenteeism of the 5,000 teachers surfaced in the monitors’ report for May. The monitors work under Independent Monitoring Unit and each of them visits at least three government schools daily. The recently established IMU is funded by UK Department for International Development.

Peshawar is on top in the absenteeism of teachers as 547 teachers were found absent from government school on daily basis in the district, followed by Swabi with 334 absent teachers and Nowshera with 308 absent teachers.

5,000 teachers of government schools in the province found absent from duty daily in May

The number of absent teachers in Abbottabad is 153, in Bannu 137, in Battagram, 246, in Buner 112, in Charsadda 226, in Chitral 147, in Dera Ismail Khan 252, in Dir Upper 94, in Dir Lower 130, in Hangu 89, in Haripur 249, in Karak 121, in Kohat 90, in Kohistan 107, in Lakki Marwat 256, in Malakand 72, in Mansehra 302, in Shangla 112, in Swat 208, in Tank 164 and in Torghar 28.

The absenteeism of teachers was one of the reasons of the deteriorated condition of education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said a senior educationist wishing not to be named.

“There are two types of absenteeism of teachers, one is physical while the second is intellectual,” he said, adding in the latter form of absenteeism, the teachers were present in schools but unable to teach the students.

About the solution to the problem, the educationist said that the administrative powers in education department should be decentralised to school level.

The four years old plan of education department to introduce cluster system was the only solution to ensure teachers’ presence in the schools, he said. The cluster system couldn’t be implemented in four years owing to teachers’ oppositions to the system, he added. Under the cluster system, it was planned that a principal of a high school would supervise 10 to 15 primary and middle schools in the area.

Currently, he said, assistant district education officers were supervising 60 to 100 primary schools. It was impossible humanly, he added. With the introduction of the cluster system, a principal would be responsible to supervise 10 to 15 schools with the support of cluster support officer, he said.

“Some teachers don’t come to the schools for years but they draw their salaries with some share for their administrative heads of the schools,” said another educationist, working on an important position in education department.

Elementary and Secondary Education Additional Secretary Qaiser Alam Khan, when contacted, said that disciplinary actions were being taken against the absent teachers at different levels. He said that district education officers, director education and secretary of the department were taking actions accordingly.

Besides, the official said, district steering committees were also responsible to take action against the absent teachers.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2014