Government schools in Punjab with very few students are under review. The Punjab School Education Department has started verifying schools where a class has fewer than 20 students, and it is considering moving teachers to busier schools and merging or reorganising campuses where needed. The Punjab low-enrollment schools policy could change where thousands of teachers work.
The low-enrollment schools review in brief:
- Low-enrollment schools are those with fewer than 20 students in a class.
- Teacher transfers and school mergers are being considered.
- No deadline or list of affected schools has been announced.
- Teachers unions want low-enrollment schools improved, not privatised.
The review comes at a time of pressure on public education. Class 9 results showed a pass rate of just 45.98%, and Punjab is estimated to have 6 to 7 million children out of school.
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What the Low-Enrollment Schools Policy Proposes
According to ProPakistani’s report of 8 September 2026, the department has directed district authorities to verify enrollment and act where numbers are below the threshold. The options under consideration include:
- Transferring teachers from low-enrollment schools to schools with more students
- Merging nearby schools where it makes sense
- Reorganising schools to use staff and buildings better
The report does not say how many schools fall below the 20-student mark or give a deadline for decisions. It is also still described as a policy under consideration, so no school should be treated as closed or merged until district authorities issue formal orders.
The move has drawn a response from teachers. Rana Liaqat Ali, Secretary General of the Punjab Teachers Union, argued that the government should focus on improving public schools rather than moving toward privatisation. Education experts have linked weak results to teacher shortages, poor facilities and low attendance, which a simple headcount rule may not address on its own.
What It Could Mean for Teachers and STIs
For regular teachers, the most likely effect is redeployment. Teachers in schools with very low enrollment may be asked to move to nearby schools that are short of staff. Teachers who are concerned should keep their service records current and follow instructions from their District Education Authority. Those facing genuine personal difficulties should note the separate Punjab teacher transfers window for hardship cases, open until 8 October.
For School Teacher Interns, the picture is less clear. Interns are placed against specific needs in schools, and fresh STI hiring is being linked to a district-wise allocation of vacant slots. If staff are redistributed away from low-enrollment schools, the number and location of STI vacancies could also change. Our tracker of STI vacancies district-wise will reflect any allocation the department publishes, and our report on fresh STI hiring against vacant slots explains the current notification.
Parents in affected areas should watch for official notices. A merger could mean a longer journey for some children, which is one reason communities often push back against such decisions. Any change should be announced by the district education office in advance.
The policy also links to the wider debate over outsourced and licensee schools. That model is under strain at the moment, with 4,300 PEIMA schools facing delayed payments, as covered in our report on the PEIMA schools payment delay.
Source: The low-enrollment schools review was reported by ProPakistani on 8 September 2026.
The low-enrollment schools review is at an early stage, and final decisions are yet to be made. Teachers and interns should rely only on official orders from their district. Follow our latest education news for updates as the policy develops.
