Majority of teachers boycott govt assessment test

LAHORE : School Education Department (SED) Punjab faced a setback in its attempt to carry out Training Need Assessment (TNA) as majority of schoolteachers boycotted the activity during its first phase on Saturday.

Different teachers’ unions and leaders had announced their intention to boycott the assessment.

Rana Sikandar Hayat, Punjab Minister for School and Higher Education, also confirmed low participation of teachers in the TNA test but praised those who attended. Despite the low turnout, he noted that those who did participate averaged a score of 75.

It is pertinent to mention here that the SED Punjab took an indifferent stance toward teachers’ concerns regarding the Training Need Assessment which included job-related concerns tied to the TNA results. Instead of addressing teachers’ questions or explaining the benefits of the assessment, the department focused solely on conducting the test at any cost.

To add to this, in a controversial move, Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat on Saturday took to social media to mock teachers opposing the Training Need Assessment, sharing posts that ridiculed their protest efforts. One image, showing a protest placard with a misspelled call to "bocott" the TNA, was used by the minister to criticise teachers for their stance against the evaluation process.

Another post, from a past cultural event at one of the public schools in South Punjab, depicted a teacher carrying an axe, a move teachers claim was framed by the minister to portray teachers’ resistance to the TNA.

In response to the minister's mockery, many teachers voiced their support for colleagues who had boycotted the Training Need Assessment and condemned the minister’s actions as disrespectful. They also expressed concern about potential punitive measures against teachers advocating for their rights. Among these reactions, some teachers creatively turned TNA into a slogan for their movement, posting “Teachers Not Available (TNA)” on social media, underscoring the widespread frustration with the assessment's implications on job security and professionalism in the field.

This public exchange underscores the rising tensions between the minister and schoolteachers over the new assessment.

A number of teachers talking to The News anonymously observed that SED Punjab’s confrontational approach to carry on with the TNA despite teachers’ reservations fueled their frustrations and led to the widespread boycott.

They argued if SED Punjab had involved teachers in discussions from the start and explained the TNA more clearly, the confrontation between teachers and the minister could have been avoided. The SED Punjab’s forceful approach is also evident from the recent removal of some teacher leaders, including Rana Liaqat Ali and Kashif Shahzad, from the service. The removal orders signaled the department’s firm approach against dissenting teachers, escalating tensions in the ongoing dispute over the TNA.

It is also important to mention here that different teachers’ unions, including the Grand Teachers Alliance (GTA) and the Punjab Teachers Union (PTU), have expressed strong opposition to the government’s decision to outsource public schools by handing over administrative control of public schools to the private sector. They have also been vocal about other key demands, such as the reinstatement of the leave encashment facility and the unconditional regularization of Assistant Education Officers (AEOs).

In a video message on late Friday night, Rana Sikandar Hayat clarified that the purpose of the Training Need Assessment was solely to identify the training requirements of schoolteachers for an extensive teacher training program. He assured that the assessment would not impact teachers’ job security. Hayat accused certain teacher leaders of misleading the teaching community about the TNA’s intent and mentioned that approximately 15-20% of teachers were underperforming, which he said tarnished the reputation of the broader teaching community. He also accused teacher leaders of personal gains including posting of their choice for themselves and their spouses and enjoying alleged long absence from school duties putting pressure on those performing their duties diligently.

The News tried multiple times to contact Khalid Nazir Watto, Secretary of the School Education Department Punjab, on his cellphone, but he did not reply. He also didn’t respond to a WhatsApp message.