The Punjab Teachers Union has strongly criticised the 10 per cent school enrolment targets set for government schools across the province, calling them unrealistic and harmful. Union General Secretary Rana Liaquat Ali said on 19 October 2026 that targets should be fixed separately for every school, after consulting its head teacher and looking at the resources actually available. He warned that pressure to meet a blanket target is pushing schools towards fake enrolments.
What the Punjab Teachers Union Is Saying
According to the Punjab Teachers Union, not every school can increase its enrolment by 10 per cent. Many schools face a serious shortage of teachers and Class IV staff, and many do not have basic facilities such as enough classrooms, furniture, clean drinking water or boundary walls. Asking such schools to admit 10 per cent more children every year, the union says, ignores ground realities.
Rana Liaquat Ali explained that head teachers and teachers are held responsible for admissions, and their performance is measured against the number of students who leave after Grade 5, Grade 8 and Grade 10. In many areas, children drop out because of poverty, migration or child labour, and teachers alone cannot fix these problems.
Complaints About Pressure on Head Teachers
The union says the way the 10 percent enrolment target is being enforced is also unfair. According to the union:
- Head teachers and teachers are summoned to offices after school hours.
- Some are made to wait outside offices for long periods as a form of punishment.
- Teachers are threatened with dismissal if targets are not met.
The union argues that this kind of pressure encourages fictitious admissions on paper, which is the opposite of what the government wants. It pointed out that the education authorities had earlier ordered schools to remove fake enrolments immediately, and setting unrealistic targets now could once again mislead senior officials with inflated numbers.
Also read
Punjab Govt School Admission Last Date 31 October 2026 and 48-Hour Records Verification Order
Main Problems Facing Government Schools
The union listed several obstacles that make it difficult for schools to grow their enrolment:
- Shortage of teachers and support staff
- Inadequate buildings and facilities
- Lack of funds for day-to-day needs
- Excessive paperwork and data entry
- Examination and other non-teaching duties assigned to teachers
- Temporary deployment of teachers to government offices
Teachers say that when staff are pulled away for elections, surveys, polio campaigns and office work, classes suffer, parents lose trust and children move to private schools.
Union Demands Independent Audit of School Enrolment Targets
The union has urged the Punjab Chief Minister to order an independent third-party audit of government schools instead of relying only on statistics provided by the Punjab School Education Department. It believes an outside audit would show the real picture of staff shortages, missing facilities and actual student numbers, which would help the government set fair, school-wise targets.
Why Realistic Targets Matter
Pakistan has one of the highest numbers of out-of-school children in the world, and Punjab has made enrolment a top priority. Experts agree that more children must be brought into classrooms. However, they also say targets work best when they come with resources: more teachers, more classrooms and support for poor families through stipends and free books. Without these, targets turn into a paperwork exercise.
Parents also have a role. Many families in rural Punjab say they keep children at home because the nearest school has only one or two teachers for six classes. When parents see that a school has enough teachers and clean classrooms, they are far more likely to enrol their children. This is why the union says fair school enrolment targets must go hand in hand with recruitment of new teachers, including School Teacher Interns, in schools where the shortage is most severe.
Also read
Latest Jobs: NUST Faculty Jobs 2026 – Professor, Lecturer and Lab Engineer Posts in Islamabad
What Teachers and Head Teachers Should Do Now
Until the department responds, school heads should keep accurate admission and attendance records, avoid adding names that do not exist, and document their staff and facility shortages in writing. These records can protect them if their school misses the target for genuine reasons. Teachers can also run community enrolment drives with parents and local leaders, which often help bring dropouts back to school.
The full statement was reported by The Express Tribune.
Also Read: Daanish School Islamabad Opens | Cadet College Diamer Jobs 2026 | Teacher Shortage Hits Attock Girls School
FAQs
What are the new school enrolment targets in Punjab?
Government schools have been asked to increase student enrolment by 10 per cent.
Why is the Punjab Teachers Union against the target?
It says many schools lack teachers, staff and facilities, and the pressure encourages fake enrolments.
What has the union demanded?
School-wise targets set with head teachers and an independent third-party audit of schools.