RAWALPINDI: Government colleges in Rawalpindi division are running short of regular teaching staff as currently around 1,000 posts are lying vacant, Dawn has learnt.

However, as a stopgap arrangement, Punjab government hired teachers on internship.

A source in education department on Thursday told Dawn that currently 1,300 interns are assisting the regular staff to run the affairs of 95 colleges across the Rawalpindi Division.

He said that a couple of years back, the Punjab government hired these teachers under College Teacher Internship (CTI) programme for extendable one-year contract.

Under this programme every intern is being paid Rs15,000 per month.

The sources said that these interns were talented and could produce better results if government paid them reasonable salaries.

Talking to Dawn, Director College Rawalpindi Division Professor Humayun Iqbal said that efforts were being made to recruit permanent staff in place of interns.

Mr Iqbal, however, said that department was very much satisfied with the performance of these interns and during the recruitment process, they would be preferred.

He said that a summary in this regard has been sent to the education department for recruitment of 400 regular teachers in grade 17. “In competitive examination for grade 17 teaching posts 5 marks will be given to interns,” he said.

The director colleges further said that in coming September three more colleges would start functioning in Rawalpindi District.

He said that construction work for Shahbaz Sharif College Khayban Sir Syed (for Boys), Degree College Dhoke Syyedan and Degree College Kotli Sattian has almost been completed.

The director college said that at least 46 teachers are required to run these three colleges for which a separate request has also been sent.