Islamabad - Teachers’ absenteeism has been taking toll on students’ learning not only in far-off areas as it is a pervasive issue plaguing the education sector everywhere.
A teacher, at a primary school on the fringes of the federal capital, has to work hardly for two months in more than two years. An English teacher, Wajiha Batool, for Class II and V at Islamabad Model School (I-V) Shehzad Town, in academic session 2013-14 used to send a substitute teacher to take classes and paid Rs10,000 to her out of her own salary.
When the new principal took charge in August 2014, she did not allow continuing this practice and asked her to take classes on her own.  Other teachers also voiced their dismay over undue favours to a teacher when they were not allowed to avail more than two casual leaves.
Although the English teacher joined the school, yet making a demand for further leave. Initially, the principal refused but later she approved her 70 days leave and later three month more leave to help look after her children, according to officials. When she joined after three months she started asking for leave of another two years. This time the principal refused as her excessive absence was drastically hindering the learning process of students and staff room environment. But the teacher got leave without the approval of the principal.
The recently announced results of the school showed high level of absenteeism of the teacher, who hampered the learning environment and academic achievement of students as the result of Class V remained 92 per cent while seven students of Class II failed in English subject.
When contacted the principal, she maintained that she had refused to approve the leaves without provision of a substitute teacher as exams were nearing the corner. “The officials at the Federal Directorate of Education or area education officer might have approved her leave,” she guessed. “I am trying to resolve this issue and have informed the FDE and area education officer about it and asking them to arrange at least a substitute teacher,” she explained.  “I asked her that I would facilitate to take care of her children during school hours as everyone faces such issues but she is a habitual absentee,” she added.   
According to Annual Status of Education Report, 2014, teachers’ absenteeism rate is high in Pakistan except Punjab and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) than the global standards of absenteeism rate that is up to 10 per cent, which is considered normal as this includes the sick and casual leaves.
Overall teacher absenteeism rate in government schools is 12 per cent and in private sector 7 per cent.  It is highest in Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan (15 per cent), followed by KP (14 per cent), Sindh, AJK and ICT (13 per cent), FATA (9 per cent), and Punjab (7 per cent).
“The issue of absenteeism stems from political appointments of teachers,” said Mosharraf Zaidi, Campaign Director for Alif Ailaan. “The number may be much more than this as we do not have authentic official data of teachers even. It a moral, societal and state failure that we have not been able to change this culture,” it added.
Finally, the Directorate has started disciplinary proceedings against her, informed Director Schools Females Farida Yasmeen. She has not been allowed to join so far. FDE Director General Amir Ashraff Khawaja and spokesperson Mohammad Tahir did not respond to the repeated requests made for comments.