Teacher Shortages Cause School Closures in Bara and Staffing Issues in Mardan

What Happened

In Bara tehsil, seven government girls’ primary schools have closed due to a lack of teachers and security concerns [1]. According to the Sub-Divisional Education Office (Female) Bara, there are 101 vacant teaching posts and 34 vacant non-teaching positions across the sub-division [1]. Of the 310 sanctioned teaching posts in Bara’s government primary schools, only 209 are filled [1]. Specifically, 64 out of 145 Primary School Teacher (PST) positions and 37 out of 143 Primary School Head Teacher (PSHT) posts are vacant [1]. All 22 Trained Teacher (TT) posts are currently occupied [1]. Regarding non-teaching staff, 236 out of 270 sanctioned posts are occupied, including 142 of 143 chowkidar posts and 94 of 127 Class-IV caretaker posts [1].

The closed schools in Bara include:

• Government Girls Primary School Haji Mina Dar Khan Kalay Akakhel (lack of teachers) [1]
• Government Girls Primary School Tangi Nazar Khel Bargambar Khel (lack of teachers) [1]
• Government Girls Primary School Ham Kalay Tarkhuks Upper Bara (lack of teachers) [1]
• Government Girls Primary School Khuga Jan Bara (lack of teachers) [1]
• Government Girls Primary School Zale Khan Tirah (security issues) [1]
• Government Girls Primary School Muhammad Din Shah (security issues) [1]
• Government Girls Primary School Khwaja Kalay Tirah (security issues) [1]

Sub-Divisional Education Officer (Female) Bara Shakeela Hussain stated that rising student numbers have worsened the crisis, noting some schools with one or two permanent female teachers now have up to 500 girls enrolled [1]. To address this, 282 local candidates were selected through the Parent-Teacher Council (PTC) for 300 female teacher posts to serve until the end of the current academic session [1]. Hussain also noted that a request has been submitted for 333 additional PTC teachers and emphasized that permanent recruitment through the Educational Testing and Evaluation Agency (ETEA) is essential [1].

In Mardan, the education department is facing shortages of both male and female teachers [2]. Sources within the department allege that during the previous government, many teachers were assigned to other departments on deputation for political reasons [2]. District Education Officer (Male) Mardan Zahid Mohmand stated that while rules govern deputations and leave, shortages increase the workload on remaining staff [2]. District Education Officer (Female) Mardan Naheed Anjum acknowledged some teachers have been assigned other duties but maintained that overall performance has not been significantly affected [2].

Who Is Affected

• Girls in Bara: Seven primary schools are closed, disrupting their education [1].
• Students in Bara: 24,500 students are currently in government girls’ primary schools, with admissions continuing until December [1].
• Teachers and parents in Bara: The Sub-Divisional Education Office (Female) is located in a single room near the sub-jail and police offices, which creates access difficulties for women and lacks a female washroom [1].
• Students in Khyber District: The district has 747 government schools, including 406 for boys and 341 for girls [1]. Twenty-five primary schools in the district operate with only one teacher, including 16 in Bara, seven in Landi Kotal, and two in Jamrud [1].
• Students in Mardan: Teacher shortages, particularly in primary schools, pose a risk to their education [2].