- Protesting teachers demand permanent pay scales, end to all non-teaching assignments
- Several teachers claim they have not been promoted despite sufficient work experience and educational qualifications
The sit-in protest at Charing Cross Chowk by teachers from across the province continued on the second day on Saturday as the government dug its heels over accepting the teachers’ demand that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif should himself come to the spot and negotiate with them.
The protest has been organised by several outfits including the Muttahida Mahaz Asataza (MMA), Punjab Teachers Union (PTU) and Punjab Educators Association (PEA).
Talking to Pakistan Today at the sit-in venue, MMA President Tariq Mehmood said that the teachers had come out on the roads in a bid to “save” the education system.
“We are demanding a permanent pay scale, end of ad-hocism, restoration of teacher-son quota and an end to discriminatory attitude of senior education officials,” he said, lamenting that the government had repeatedly forced teachers to participate in election duties, dengue surveillance campaigns and vaccination of polio drops even though their primary duty was to impart education. “The government must end all non-teaching activities assigned to teachers,” he said, adding that they had refused to hold any negotiation with the secretary schools or any other official except the Punjab CM.
PEA Gujranwala General Secretary Anwar Hashmi said that he had been serving the education department for the last 13 years but had not been promoted even once.
“I have two Masters degrees – an MA and M.Ed – yet I have been forced to keep working in BPS-9. Is this how the government treats its educators,” he said, adding that more than 50 teachers were accompanying him from Gujranwala to fight for their due right.
Muhammad Abubakar, a teacher in Grade 14 from Faisalabad, said that he also had two Masters degrees and was preparing for a third one yet he has been bypassed for promotion for five years.
“I have spent a night on the road for my rights…I’m willing to stay here until the government realises that our demands are justified,” he said. The teacher was particularly critical of bureaucracy, who he believed were unaware of the changing trends in education.
Another double Masters, Intikhab, told Pakistan Today that he teaches at a Rawalpindi school. “I’m serving in BPS-9 for the last 11 years and getting paid only Rs 19,000 per month. I have three children and am barely able to meet my family’s needs. How does the government expect us to deliver quality education in such circumstances?”
The teachers’ protest campaign began last month, in April, after a senior headmaster named Tariq Mehmood was relieved from duty by the government.
The protesting teachers were visited by several politicians including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed. Rasheed had spent Friday night on the Mall Road with the protesters.
Pakistan Today learnt that all teachers have contributed equally for the protest arrangements, which includes a truck-mounted stage and a DJ system to entertain the participants. Traffic meanwhile remain disrupted all day long as police barricaded the roads leading towards Charing Cross Chowk. Lahore DIG Operations Dr Haider Ashraf attempted to convince the protesters to vacate the area but his appeals went in vain as the teachers’ refused to move until they had a meeting with the chief minister.
These protestors should be thrown out from here and should be shifted to a backward area like Bhatti or Samnabad.There are many great universities in The Mall such Government College University,King Edward University,National College of Arts and Punjab University and there students are having lot of traffic problems due to these illiterate protesters.
Regarding the protest of teachers in Lahore To whom you are saying illiterate and want to push them back ; shame on you peoples because these are those professionals who build the foundation on primary level. You don't know what are the troubles and hardships for the primary teachers and how much thy getting pay instead of having the M.A and M.Phill degrees at primary posts. Come to the Rural areas and judge how a single teacher traveling daily and teaching alone more than hundreds students for five classes in mostly schools then how they can produce the quality of education , the department demanding all the time .
As you know the one and only educational industry of pakistan that can make strong the nation economically. But unfortunately with the annual variation in our educational policies and structures we are not able to sustain in perfect right developing direction because our educational policy is under the supervision of foreigners, having no interest in the development of Pakistan.
Where as for the reward of primary teachers if the Govt. will not pay the teachers according to their qualification then what would you expect from them. And teachers on primary schools have to prepare a lot of official mails ( daak ) and as well as teaching . Now a days it is very tough time for teachers especially on primary level they suffering with having very short income. Our high authorities don’t know the ground realities on primary levels in rural areas. They are getting total fake information by paper work which in fact is absolutely to just build up the reputation of the educational officers throughout The Districts. And the Educational officers all the time making fearful environment for the primary teachers on the PEC results and low enrollment giving them punishment via show cause notices and to stop their increments for them they are not deserving at all.
In any society where is no worth of teacher there is no worth of Nation.
@Muhammad Riaz
These Urdu medium so-called teachers don’t even have the knowledge of basic ABC.And saying that you have degree (jally) doesn’t makes you a teacher (like you have),your ethics makes you a teacher,which we lack in Pakistan.
@ Ali Raza & Rafay ,,,,,,Just sham on you…..evn u r able to write some words taught by a teacher,,,, respect the teachers.
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