The Punjab government’s plan to outsource over 14,000 government schools has sparked concerns over a looming unemployment crisis in the province’s education sector.
Alongside the outsourcing initiative, the government is reportedly set to abolish nearly 43,000 teaching posts, raising fears that thousands of educators could lose their jobs. Critics argue that the move contradicts the government’s claims of reducing unemployment and improving education quality.
Teachers affected by the policy, including Mohammad Akram, Shafiq Ahmed, and Nazia Bibi, expressed alarm at the government’s decision. “One month after the schools opened, we came to realize what the government was doing. It is abolishing posts in schools where the number of teachers is less.
Schools are already facing a shortage of teachers, and this move is only going to worsen the education crisis,” they said. Currently, more than 133,000 teacher posts remain vacant in Punjab, intensifying the sector’s staffing challenges.
Public policy advisor Salman Abid criticized the government for creating uncertainty and instability in schools. “Instead of improving the quality of education, the government is instigating unemployment among teachers under the guise of rationalization.
Such policies violate Article 25 of the Constitution, which considers education a fundamental right. Outsourcing will make education less accessible for low-income students,” he explained.
According to official records, the Punjab government plans to abolish 43,960 posts ranging from Grade 14 to Grade 16, including 26,697 primary, 7,222 middle, and 8,081 high school positions. Punjab Teachers’ Union General Secretary Rana Liaquat Ali warned that the livelihoods of over 100,000 teachers are at risk. He blamed the IMF for pressuring the government to cut costs.
In response, Punjab Education Department spokesman Noor-ul-Hadi dismissed the claims, stating that teacher shortages are not an issue.
He said that 23,000 surplus teachers have been redeployed following the rationalization process and that vacant posts in schools have been filled through shuffling. Despite official reassurances, teachers and experts continue to fear a deepening education and unemployment crisis in Punjab.
