In a significant move aimed at optimizing staffing and resource allocation, the Punjab School Education Department (SED) has decided to abolish thousands of unfilled teaching and non-teaching positions across schools in the province.

According to official sources, the department has directed District Education Authorities to compile and submit data on vacancies that have remained unoccupied for the past two years. The positions slated for removal range from Grade 5 to Grade 16, following a formal directive issued by the department.

This decision comes after the department had earlier eliminated more than 50,000 teaching positions. Despite this, a substantial number of vacancies still persist, raising concerns about staffing shortages in Punjab’s educational institutions.

Authorities believe that this initiative will help streamline workforce management, ensuring that resources are effectively utilized. However, the move has also sparked concerns among educationists and stakeholders, who fear that eliminating these positions might exacerbate existing staffing challenges in government schools.

The Punjab government has yet to announce whether new hiring policies will be introduced to compensate for the abolished positions or if alternative measures will be taken to address the staffing gaps in schools.