Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat has warned that teachers at schools recording results of only 20 per cent could face dismissal as the provincial government moves to address poor academic performance.
Speaking at a press conference, the education minister said the overall standard of education had improved over the past two years, although stricter measures against cheating and paper leaks had affected examination results.
Rana Sikandar Hayat said no one could claim that cheating took place at any examination centre or that papers were leaked this year, describing the development as a major improvement compared with previous years.
He said the government had also updated and shortened the Grade 9 curriculum in line with global standards. The province has introduced on-screen marking on a pilot basis, while the system will be fully implemented next year.
For the first time, boards also conducted the marking of practical examinations, he added.
The minister said recent reforms, along with changes and stricter standards in the examination and marking systems, naturally resulted in changes to overall examination outcomes.
The government is forming a committee to review the results, while it has identified 2,200 schools where results were 20 per cent or below.
According to the minister, teachers at these schools will not merely receive show-cause notices over poor performance but could be dismissed from service.
At the same time, the Punjab government plans to recognise high-performing teachers by giving them awards.
Rana Sikandar Hayat said outsourced schools achieved an overall result of 81 per cent, which, according to him, indicates that the performance of some government school teachers requires serious attention.
Responding to questions about reports of declining enrolment in public colleges and universities, the minister rejected the claims, saying enrolment had instead increased significantly.
He said the increase in admissions to public colleges and universities was substantial and had been officially recorded.
