- IMCG students press FDE to ensure teacher recruitment in their school
Dozens of girl students of a school situated in federal capital staged a sit-in against Federal Department of Education (FDE) Islamabad for the appointment of teachers in their school.
On Monday, around 50 students along with office bearers of Parent Teacher Association (PTA) of Islamabad Model School for Girls (IMCG) Gokina protested inside the building of FDE to press the administration for filling the vacant posts at the school.
According to the documents available with Pakistan Today, the IMCG, Gokina has sanctioned staff strength of 26 but at the moment, only eight teachers are appointed at the school and there are no teachers available in the school for teaching English, Mathematics and Science subjects.
Due to the non-availability of Science teachers in the school, all the students in class 9 and 10 were forced to study Arts subjects making many poor parents of the area to give up their dreams of making their girls doctors and engineers.
Abdul Razzaq, Finance Secretory of Parent Teacher Association (PTA) told Pakistan Today that despite repeated requests by the people of Gokina area, FDE has done nothing to address the shortage of teachers.
“Casual attitude of the administration made us to come to FDE to stage sit- in; this state of affairs is prevailing since many years and we are left with no other option but to protest,” Razzaq further told.
Zarida, a girl student of IMCG who was present in the sit-in told that she had to walk down the hill for an hour or so by passing through difficult hilly passages to reach her school daily.
“It hurts when I reach school after facing such a difficulty and find no teacher to give me lessons. I have become fed up with the situation and feel like abandoning my studies,” Zarida expressed her discontent over the situation.
Another student, Saira, unlike Zarida vowed to continue to fight for her right to education and showed her resolve to knock at every door of the powerful to get her right.
“I am not disappointed by the situation. I am learning how to fight for my rights and I will keep trying to shake the lazy wills of the high-ups of Education Department who do not trouble themselves to come out of their cozy offices to see what difficulties we are facing,” a determined Saira said.
“We clean the washrooms of the school ourselves, we do all the dusting as well but still we are determined to continue our education as our parents can’t afford to send us to private schools of the capital,” Saira added.
According to staff statement sent by the Principal of IMCG, Gokina to FDE on August 11, 2014, 18 staff positions including one vice principle, one SST, one EST one PTI, five EST and eight TGT teachers were lying vacant.
On the other hand, Director Colleges (Girls) Ms Farzana Gondal told Pakistan Today that she had assumed the charge recently and she was well aware of the state of affairs at IMCG, Gokina.
“I need some time to rectify the long standing situation at the school; no teacher is ready to serve at the places like Gokina which is situated on the other side of the Margall hills, still I am trying to make adjustments with the nearby schools,” the director said.
“When we post a teacher there, she gets her posting orders reversed from the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) and we have to obey the directions,” Ms Gondal explained her position.
However, she ensured the protesting girls students that their issue will be resolved without any further delay.
On her assurance, the sit in was called off and the girls students went back to their homes but the PTA office bearers warned that they will bring all the 350 students of the school to protest in front of Parliament of Pakistan if the teachers were not appointed in next few days.
Minister of State for CADD, Usman Ibrahim was not available for his comment on the situation despite repeated queries made by this scribe.
