According to reports, instructors in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s government schools have ceased teaching since their salaries have not been paid, and as a result, the afternoon shift’s courses may be cancelled.
To encourage education and lower the dropout rate, the provincial department of education began offering lessons in the second shift in September 2021. The second shift program covered schools with more than 60% enrolment.
Currently, 80,000 to 100,000 kids attend the afternoon programs to study.
According to the former education minister Shahram Khan Tarakai, another purpose for launching this program was to give youngsters opportunities who, for a variety of reasons, were unable to attend school during regular hours.
In January 2023, the old administration halted the afternoon sessions in 167 elementary, middle, and high schools across several districts, which led to a partial suspension of the program.
The previous administration has also instructed the concerned education officers not to request their wages in January 2023.
According to data from the Education Department, 3.2 million children in KP and tribal areas are not attending school. In the tribal areas, the dropout rate for girls is higher than for boys, with 97% of girls leaving school in the first grade. The girls’ inability to attend schools in rural locations is the main cause of this.
According to sources, up to 8,000 instructors involved in the second shift program have been without pay for four months.
However, when questioned, the current secretary of supplementary education responded that the necessary money had been released and that the workers will soon receive their salaries.
According to him, the pertinent deputy commissioners and district education authorities had received Rs3.3 million.
He stated that the reason the salary hadn’t been paid yet will be looked into.
