THE Sindh Education Department’s latest initiative, the student-teacher ratio (STR) policy, aims at optimising teacher allocation across schools. The secretary of education, Sindh, supports this policy, which mandates one teacher for every 40 students. However, implementing this policy poses significant challenges.

Currently, some schools have, say, 30 teachers for fewer than 100 students, while others have only a dozen for more than 1,000. This alarming disparity highlights the utter need for careful planning to ensure the STR policy’s success.

There should be reshuffling based purely on merit. Teachers should be reassigned based on merit, preventing unnecessary transfers that burden teachers, and affect the academic process. The policymakers must consider the specific needs and constraints of each union council (UC) with respect to middle and high schools. Adequate infrastructure and resources are also crucial for effective teaching.

The STR policy’s effectiveness depends on careful execution. For instance, transferring teachers to places far away from their hometowns causes feelings of anxiety and depression among the teachers, which affects the quality of education.

In some areas, like in Wahi Pandhi, administrative and teaching crises persist due to unfilled vacancies. The school in the area requires 24 full-time teachers and a headmaster to be able to function properly. These positions have been lying vacant for over a year.

The Education Department should prioritise teacher allocation, and focus on filling up all the vacancies, and optimising teacher distribution across the province. The department should streamline the transfer process, making it merit-based, and ensure that classrooms and resources fully support the learning environment.

By addressing these challenges and implementing the STR policy thoughtfully, the provincial government can improve the quality of education, providing students with the knowledge essential for their future.

Safdar Ali Rustamani
Dadu

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2024