PESHAWAR: Educational activities in state-run colleges across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) remained suspended Tuesday owing to strike being observed by government teachers.
In a meeting of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Professors and Lecturers Association Monday comprising of members from all twenty-five districts of KP, it was announced that the classes across the province will remain suspended until the government concedes to their demands. The meeting was held at Government College Peshawar on Monday. The association is objecting to the new board of governors system being devised by the government for administering public colleges.
Moreover, according to the association’s leader, Jamshed Khan, teachers are urging the government to resolve their issues pertaining to the professional allowance which is provided to school teachers but not to college teachers in addition to their up-gradation.
Although, the provincial government had vowed to resolve the issues of up-gradation and allowance in the 2017 budget, however no concrete steps were taken to address the grievances. This led to discontentment among the teachers who later held protests.
The association is urging the government to provide a written assurance that their demands will be met; until then, the teachers have suspended all classes.
As per reports, the teachers fear that the new board of governors system will bring the state-run institutions in line with how private institutions are run. This, the teachers fear will impact the students as well as teachers adversely.
