Punjab plans three regional administrations for school education
The Punjab government has decided in principle to split its school education department into north, central and south regional set-ups. The Express Tribune reported that the offices would be based in Rawalpindi, Lahore and Multan.
- Separate secretaries and offices planned for north, central and south Punjab
- Regional headquarters proposed in Rawalpindi, Lahore and Multan
- The three regions together have about 10.19 million students and 302,028 teachers
- Teachers' union leader says the structure would add financial burden
The Punjab government has decided in principle to restructure its school education department into north, central and south regional set-ups, with separate secretaries and offices, The Express Tribune reported. Nawa-i-Waqt also reported that the government has proposed dividing the department into three parts.
The provincial education ministry has been assigned to implement the proposed restructuring. The new administrations are expected to work from Rawalpindi for the north, Lahore for the central region and Multan for the south.
Under the plan, each region would have its own secretariat and Directorate of Public Instruction. This would replace the present arrangement, in which major administrative decisions are handled through the provincial department in Lahore.
The Express Tribune gave the size of each region: the central region has 15,671 government schools, the south 12,308 and the north 7,416. Together they have about 10.19 million students and 302,028 teachers.
Punjab's 2026-27 budget gives the school education department Rs600.78 billion for current expenditure and Rs13.18 billion for development schemes, a total of Rs613.96 billion.
The department set up a Rationalisation Cell on October 1 to examine its organisational structure, sanctioned posts, staffing needs, workload and overlapping responsibilities. The cell was told to find ways to use staff better, including by reviewing vacant and surplus posts. The department has also ordered verification of records of about 300,000 teachers and other employees in the School Information System, and district authorities must reconcile them with sanctioned posts, actual postings and payroll data.
Punjab Teachers Union Secretary General Rana Liaqat Ali said: "The regional structure would cause financial burden on the department."
Why it matters
The plan would change how government schools in Punjab are managed, affecting about 10.19 million students and 302,028 teachers. Decisions now routed through the provincial department in Lahore would move to regional offices. The department's budget for 2026-27 is Rs613.96 billion, so the cost of any new structure is a concern raised by a teachers' union.
