Thousands of School Teacher Interns (STIs) working in government schools across Punjab are reportedly waiting for their first stipend payments, raising concerns over delays in the provincial government’s payment process.

Around 25,000 interns from Phase I and Phase II are affected by the reported issue. The teachers have been performing their assigned duties in public-sector schools but have yet to receive their pending payments.

The delay has drawn criticism from teachers and their representatives, who are urging the Punjab government to resolve the matter and ensure that outstanding stipends reach eligible interns without further complications.

The Punjab government has allocated funds for the STI programme, while a separate report published in October indicated that Rs. 285 million had been released for intern payments. However, the reported funding arrangements have not immediately resolved the payment concerns.

According to the available information, the funding process involves the Finance Department and district-level education authorities, which are responsible for handling the disbursement.

Approximately 800 School Teacher Interns working in Lahore are also reportedly affected by the payment delay.

The issue has prompted questions about why teachers are still waiting for their dues despite the government’s financial arrangements for the programme.

The Punjab Teachers Union has expressed concern over the situation and called on the relevant departments to speed up the payment process.

Union representatives have questioned the continued delay and urged authorities to ensure that teachers receive their stipends on time.

Affected interns have also appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to intervene and direct the concerned departments to release their outstanding payments.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Education Department has reportedly informed the affected teachers that the process of transferring funds from the Finance Department is underway.

Department officials have assured interns that their pending payments are expected to be released within the coming days. However, a confirmed date for completing the disbursement has not been announced.

The STI programme is designed to address teacher shortages in Punjab’s government schools through temporary teaching appointments.

According to a report published by Dawn on September 26, 2026, the provincial government extended the services of around 45,000 existing school teacher interns until May 31, 2027, through fresh agreements.

The School Education Department has also initiated recruitment against vacant internship positions to support teaching activities across the province.

The latest salary concerns have highlighted the importance of timely financial arrangements for contractual teaching staff.

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For now, affected School Teacher Interns are waiting for the education authorities to complete the payment process and fulfil their assurances regarding outstanding stipends.