LAHORE (Education Reporter) In line with ongoing economic reforms and its right-sizing policy, the Punjab government has taken a major decision to permanently abolish a vast number of vacant non-teaching positions across the School Education Department. An official notification has been issued to implement the decision, affecting thousands of posts in government schools across Lahore and the rest of the province.
Over 1,200 Posts Axed in Lahore, 30,000 Across Punjab
In the first phase of this right-sizing initiative, 1,207 vacant non-teaching posts have been immediately abolished in government schools within the provincial capital, Lahore. Concurrently, the process to eliminate a total of 30,391 vacant positions across all districts of Punjab is underway. Once completed, these posts will be permanently removed from the official provincial budget.
Affected Non-Teaching Positions
According to the government’s decision, the non-teaching roles being completely eliminated include:
- Office & Administrative Staff: Junior Clerk, Senior Clerk, Stenographer, Assistant, Accountant, Computer Operator, Auditor, Superintendent, and Deputy Superintendent.
- Technical & Academic Support: Lab Assistant, Lab In-charge, Lab Attendant, Librarian, Assistant Librarian, and Assistant Director of Physical Education.
- Support Staff: Chowkidar, Naib Qasid, Beldar, Mali (Gardener), Driver, and Sweeper.
Government’s Stance vs. Severe Concerns from Educational Circles
Defending the administrative move, the Punjab government stated that the primary objective of eliminating these long-vacant posts is to enforce its right-sizing policy, which will significantly reduce government expenditures and ease the province’s financial burden.
On the other hand, educational circles, teacher associations, and headmasters have expressed deep concern and anxiety over the decision. Critics argue that public schools are already facing an acute shortage of non-teaching staff. They warned that wiping out such a massive number of positions would completely paralyze the day-to-day administrative, financial, and clerical operations of schools, which would ultimately directly hurt the classroom learning environment. Educational bodies have strongly urged the government to immediately reconsider this decision.