LAHORE: Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz paid tribute to teachers on World Teachers’ Day on Monday, calling them the most respected part of society. The message was warm. It also came less than three weeks after she ordered action over poor results in government schools.
In her message, the chief minister offered salutations to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), whom she called the “greatest teacher”. She praised teachers across Punjab for their hard work and said their status and dignity would always remain.
“A good teacher imparts not only knowledge but also introduces students to manners, moral values and social traditions,” she said.
The chief minister listed three things her government is doing. The Nawaz Sharif Schools of Eminence are being set up across the province. Artificial intelligence is being introduced in primary classes. And teachers are getting free training in spoken English, information technology and modern teaching methods.
Each of these is still in progress. The Punjab Education Foundation says 56 Schools of Eminence are running, out of a planned 300. Punjab has made AI a compulsory subject, but the education department has said it will start in primary classes from the 2027-28 session. Under the new curriculum plan, one day a week is to be set aside for teacher training.
Teachers have heard a different tone from the same office recently. On September 17, after poor Class IX results, the chief minister ordered action against schools with pass rates below 20 per cent. Earlier in the month, a case was registered against Punjab University teachers and employees over a protest.
Teachers are also working in a system under strain. The Pakistan Institute of Education counts 25.37 million children out of school across the country. A tribute on October 5 is welcome. Teachers will judge the government more by what happens on the other days of the year, such as whether vacant posts are filled, whether the promised training arrives, and whether they are treated as partners when results are bad.
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