The Sindh education department has decided to sack 40 ghost teachers. According to the Sindh education department, 40 teachers including staff and clerical department employees will be sacked. The sacked teachers include 17 junior school teachers, 8 higher school teachers, 4 guards, 1 junior clerk and 1 lane assistant. A show-cause notice was issued to these 40 ghost teachers. Upon no response, the education department decided to strip them of their posts. Earlier, the Sindh education department has sacked eight ghost teachers in the province.

Akbar Leghari, eight teachers, residing abroad, were sacked from their services. The teachers who were sacked from their services were receiving salaries for the last 2 years. The secretary further said Taluka education officers across the province are highlighting the ghost teachers. The secretary warned of strict action against the ghost teachers.

It was worth mentioned here that Sindh High Court had already directed the provincial education authorities to expeditiously pursue the issues of absconding and ghost employees to their logical conclusion and weed out what it called all such transgressors from the education system. The SHC also directed the secretary of the education department and director general of the Sindh Child Protection Authority to inform it about establishment of helplines and deployment of the Child Protection and Management Information System as well as the ongoing anti-beggary campaign.

On that hearing education secretary submitted that 1,645 teachers had recently been identified as delinquent/absconders and 1,481 show-cause notices issued so far and such proceeding would be finalised by Dec 31. He also submitted that the proceedings had been initiated against 45 ghost employees, who were shown as teachers and drawing salaries, but were actually otherwise gainfully employed as journalists.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-INP