PESHAWAR: Majority of the public sector universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are short of teachers which has been affecting the academic activities, according to sources.
Of the 19 public sector universities the administrations of 13 universities have failed to ensure the required strength of teachers according to the student-teacher ratio fixed by the Higher Education Commission (HEC), the sources said. They said that the teaching staff in the remaining six universities was not on need basis rather there were surplus teachers putting burden on the universities’ budgets.
The sources said that according to the HEC criteria there should be one teacher for 20 students of science group and one teacher for 30 students of humanities group.
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Keeping in view the student-teacher ratio the number of teachers required in the University of Peshawar was 722, but currently 482 teachers were serving there. In Agriculture University Peshawar, 267 teachers have been serving against the needed strength of 380. Only 123 teachers are working in Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University, Peshawar, against the strength of 243 teachers.
Govt urged to take immediate steps for stopping brain drain
Other universities which are short of teachers include Hazara University, University of Science and Technology Peshawar, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Kohat University of Science and Technology, University of Haripur, University of Science and Technology Bannu, Bacha Khan University Charsadda, etc.
Six universities that have surplus staff include the Gomal University Dera Ismail Khan where 315 teachers are currently working against the sanctioned strength of 250 teachers; 248 teachers serving in the University of Malakand against the required 176 as per HEC criteria; Khyber Medical University, 116 teachers against the needed 80; and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University Sharingal, Upper Dir, have 116 teachers against its requirement of 76 teachers.
Both the shortage of teachers and their over-employment was harmful to the institutions, said one of the educationists wishing anonymity. When a university lacks teachers it affects studies of the students and research work, while financially it is not viable for a university to retain additional teachers.
When contacted, a senior UoP official told Dawn that shortage of teachers had occurred after rapid retirement of a number of senior teachers and delayed appointment on the vacant posts.
He said that the number of students in UoP increased manifold with the launch of Bachelor of Studies programme, a four-year degree programme parallel to the conventional master’s degree programme. With the increase of students, the number of teachers required also increased in the respective disciplines, but couldn’t be appointed in time, he said.
When asked about the shortage of teachers, UoP registrar Dr Fazal Hadi said that visiting faculties were being hired as a stopgap arrangement. Many of contract teachers have been appointed to cope with the shortage, he said, adding that appointment process of around 60 teachers was in progress.
One of the reasons for teachers’ shortage, particularly competent and senior ones, is the worsening law and order situation which has triggered the brain drain from the province, one of the vice-chancellors told Dawn.
He said that the government should immediately stop the brain drain from the province otherwise it would land the public sector universities in a difficult situation. He demanded of the government to enhance the salaries and other incentives of teachers, particularly in those universities located outside Peshawar.
When contacted, Provincial Minister for Higher Education Department Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani said that they had been taking steps to solve problems of the universities.
“I have asked the VCs to increase the incentives for teachers so as to stop them from moving to other cities,” the minister said.
Published in Dawn, Aug 2nd , 2014