Around 300 college teachers associated with the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) on Thursday took to the streets to press the government for their up-gradation in accordance with the announcement made by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.
Responding to the call of Federal Government College Teacher Association (FGTA), the college teachers assembled at Federal Government Post Graduate College from where they took out a rally to press the government to upgrade their scales through Time Scale Promotion Formula (TSPF). The rally took place in front of Allama Iqbal Open University. Wearing black ribbons around their arms and holdings placards and banners in their hands, the marching teachers raised slogans against the Federal Government and the high-ups of the Capital Administrative and Development Authority (CAAD).
CAAD was established by the government after the devolution of the Education Ministry to provinces to look after the affairs of the educational Institutions of the Federal Capital. The protesting teachers were of the view that CAAD had failed to redress teachers’ issues. At all colleges of the capital, except FG College G/10, after the first two lessons went on strike. The college teachers’ promotion was part of a package, which was announced by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on October 8, 2010.
Speaking on the occasion, FGTA President Zahid Ali Shah said that for the last 20 years or more, dozens of FDE teachers of Basic Pay Scale-16 were struggling for their promotions, but no one was ready to give them their due promotion, he said. He said that after the prime minister’s announcement last year it was expected that the teachers’ promotion issue would be resolved in a few weeks but even after the lapse of one year teachers still awaited their due right.
The protesting teachers reiterated their stance that they would continue their protest against the discriminatory attitude of the authorities and if their status was not upgraded they would observe International Teachers Day on October 5 as a black day. The protesters also raised slogans against FDE Director General Atif Kiani for snubbing Professor Yasmeen Bokhari on the charges of motivating teachers to participate in protest. Principal Rehana Shabir of G/10/3 college did not allow her teachers to participate in protest.
