Jobs at risk if results fall below 20pc, minister warns teachers

LAHORE - Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat has announced that he will personally conduct a class at a government school starting Monday. He stated that the relevant school will first undergo a test, after which the results will be made public. He clarified that action would be taken against schools and teachers consistently producing poor results. According to Rana Sikandar Hayat, there has been a significant increase in student admissions to government colleges, with the total number rising from 207,000 to over 250,000. He attributed this surge in admissions largely to the appointment of permanent principals. Permanent principals have been appointed to 550 of Punjab's 850 government colleges, while modern computer labs—equipped with 30 to 50 computers each—have been established in 200 government colleges. A system of monthly examinations has also been introduced in these colleges. The Education Minister reported that admission figures have risen from 12,000 to 16,000 at Punjab University; from 12,000 to 19,000 at UMT; from 400 to 2,600 at Kamalia University; and from 550 to 3,200 at the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), Lahore. Admissions to Ghazi University, DG Khan, have increased from 4,200 to approximately 9,000. Major restrictions imposed on construction projects in City He stated that there has been a significant overall increase in admissions at public sector universities, and universities from Punjab have secured prominent positions in the Times rankings. According to Rana Sikandar Hayat, multiple notices have been issued to the staff of schools producing poor results, and action will be taken against school staff in cases of persistent underperformance. Accountability regarding results must take place at the school, tehsil, and district levels; to this end, data-based analysis of each school's results is now being conducted. Nation observes Quaid-e-Azam's 78th death anniversary He mentioned that the shortage of teachers is being addressed through the recruitment of School Teaching Interns (STIs), with 25,000 STIs already deployed. The Education Minister claimed that an improvement in 9th-grade results would be visible next year, noting that the performance of students who previously scored between 43% and 44% in the 9th grade has already improved. Learning outcomes for students in government schools are also showing improvement. According to the Education Minister, the pass rate for the 10th-grade examination in Punjab was 73.1 percen, while the 8th-grade result stood at 87 percent. The 5th-grade examination is also being reintroduced. Students struggling in the 9th grade will be identified for special academic support, and subject-specialist School Teaching Interns will be deployed to underperforming schools. Regarding cheating and malpractice in examinations, Rana Sikandar Hayat stated that 1,500 cases were reported between 2019 and 2023, whereas over 3,600 cases were detected in the last two years alone. CM Maryam pays tribute to Quaid-e-Azam on death anniversary According to him, cases of cheating and forgery increased by 300 percent over two years; however, strict measures were implemented to ensure transparency in examinations, and effective action was taken against the 'cheating mafia.' The Education Minister made it clear that teachers consistently delivering poor results would be held accountable. Discussing the potential dismissal of teachers who produce results below 20 percent, he stated that there would be no protracted inquiries; instead, direct action would be taken based on poor performance. He asserted that a teacher who consistently delivers poor results over a period of 3 to 5 years forfeits the right to hold their position, noting that the poor performance of 2,200 schools is adversely affecting educational outcomes across Punjab. LHC suspends operation of PMDC notifications Rana Sikandar Hayat stated that teachers delivering good results would be rewarded, while those demonstrating poor performance would face accountability. He emphasised the need to change the mindset that views students from government schools as inferior and highlighted that ensuring transparency in examinations within the education system is a government priority. According to the Education Minister, the pass rate for 10th-grade students was 73 percent in government schools and 81 percent in outsourced schools, meaning the outsourced schools outperformed government schools by 8 percent. Similarly, in the 9th grade, outsourced schools outperformed government schools by 11 percent. A decision will also be made to increase the per-student subsidy for PEF (Punjab Education Foundation) partners who deliver superior results.