RAWALPINDI, April 6: Over 30 per cent government schools in Rawalpindi district have been without science and Information Technology (IT) teachers for more than a year and the students have to suffer due to apathy of the high-ups of the education department putting a question mark on the education sector reforms of the Punjab government.

Out of 350 government schools in the district, over 135 schools are without science teachers and out of 209 schools where IT laboratories have been established for boosting computer literacy among the students, as many as 70 labs are without IT teachers.

A boys’ high school in Chakbeli Khan situated in the constituency of Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has been without science teacher for a long time. More than 190 students of class 9 and 188 students of class 10 have to suffer due to the shortage of teachers and class rooms. Majority of the students have to opt for arts subjects due to the non-availability of science teachers.

Moreover, the students who want to study science subjects have to get admission in private schools.

While talking to Dawn, Executive District Officer (EDO) Education Qazi Zahoor said some 1,300 highly qualified teachers had been hired by the government to fill in the vacant posts of science and IT teachers. Despite that there was a shortage of teachers, he said.

“In schools where science teachers are not available, we have asked the principals concerned to hire the teachers on temporary basis so that science students may not suffer,” the EDO said.

In Murree, Kotli Sattian, Gujar Khan and Rawalpindi city, several schools have no science and IT teachers though Punjab government has ranked Rawalpindi as the third best performing district in education sector across the province.