JHANG: All Punjab Teachers Alliance President Sufi Ramzan Ingalabi demanded on Wednesday that the authorities take notice of imposing fines and other penalties on teachers over students enrolment and attendance matters.

He told reporters that low enrollment and classroom attendance was related to the administrative officials of the education department who, using fudged data, had got several schools upgraded only to grab funds.

Mr Ingalabi criticised the district education authority for issuing notices to teachers on the basis of reports of monitoring evaluation assistants (MEAs).

He accused the department officers, such as the chief executive officer (CEO), district education ofhcersandothershadgotupgradedprimary, elementary and secondary schools by showing inflated enrollments, whereas teachers` input was never incorporated in the process.

Several schools with low students` and teachers` strength were also handed over to non-government organisations whereas several schools had been upgraded by showing extra students in the same localities. So, officers, not the teachers, should be grilled about low enrollment. He alleged teachers had their salaries deducted and increments waived on the reports of MEAs on students` poor attendance and enrollmentissues.

He said MEAs and administrative officers should look into ground realities that a large number of schools have been functioning without heads and teachers. He said female teachers who attended their schools in far-flung areas had also been penalised.

He said Jhang district stood sec-ond across the Punjab for its excellent results in examinations but rewards would be given to nonteaching staff, instead of teachers `who are the real heroes`.

He demanded revisiting the upgraded schools in the district and end to penalties on teachers on the basis of complaints by non-teaching staf fers. He warned if the issue was not addressed, teachers would march on the chief minister`s office in Lahore.

Education authority CEO Zahoor Ahmed said that verification of upgrade cases could only be taken up at the high level of the education department. Reports of MEAs regarding enrollments were processed as per policies and factors like the availability of teachers and resources in the schools were considered before slapping on punishment on teachers. Also, teachers were provided a proper opportunity to respond to MEAs reports, he added.