Islamabad - Daily-wages teachers’ protest and students’ annual examination went parallel on Monday at model educational institutes of the city, where teachers boycotted the classes on non-payment of salaries.

Annual examination of students from Grade 01 to 08 was held earlier because of census which is likely to be conducted from March 15. Daily wages employees of around 10 model educational set up protest and refused to perform duties during exams.  Teachers including male and female employees displayed their demands on placards. ‘No work without salary’ teachers demanded with black ribbons on their arms from Federal Directorate of Education (FDE).

Talking to The Nation, a representative of daily wages employees Young Teachers Association (YTA) said, because of on-going examination, association decided not to take strike on roads but to boycott the classes and examination process.

“Some of the classes during examination were invigilated by non-teaching staff because of teachers protest,” said YTA representative.

The protest is affecting the junior classes at middle level because secondary and intermediate classes after completion of course are on leave to appear in board examination.

According to a source, principals are demanding from teachers to finalise the result of students before March 14, but teachers are mulling to delay it until the payment of their salaries.  Daily wages employees had received their last salary in the month of November last year when they were credited two months unpaid salaries out for four.

Now, again four months’ salary is unpaid on the behalf of government. There are around 2300 employees working in the model setup under FDE including teaching and non-teaching staff. A college principal who wished not to be named confirmed the protest held by daily wages employees during the exam session.

“Yes teaching and non-teaching staff held protest in some institutes but overall set up was not disturbed,” he said. Principal informed The Nation that exams of some classes have ended but some are still in process because of different schedules announced by different institutes.He also con firmed the impact of boycott of teachers because of which students had to suffer.

“Already model educational institutes are facing shortage of teachers and when the existing staff goes on boycott, it surely affects the academic activities,” he said.

He said because of announced census in mid of March, all the institutions are completing the annual examination of class from 01 to middle before 8th of March.

Meanwhile, official from Capital Administration & Development Division (CADD) talking to The Nation said that the ministry has forwarded the case of salaries to finance division.

And Finance Division in its observation asked to implement the directions of Prime Minister (PM) in letter and spirit.

The Minister CADD Tariq Fazal Chaudhry recently also held meetings with Secretary Establishment and Federal Public service Commission (FPSC) to resolve the issue of regularisation of daily wages employees.

PM had directed the ministry to advertise and recruit the employees as per rules.

The case of daily wages employees for regularisation is also in court and will not reach any conclusion until it is decided. Due to ambiguous services status daily wages employees face hurdles in receiving salaries repeatedly.