Islamabad - Dozens of daily wages teachers of model educational institutes under the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) gathered near Press Club on International Teachers Day to protest against the government for not paying their salaries on time.
They held a walk to protest against the discriminatory behavior meted out to the teachers’ community by the government and demanded from Capital Administration & Development Division (CADD) to protect their rights as teachers. They added that despite issuing notification for regularization and medical tests, they had not been given appointment letters.
The teachers chanted slogans and carried banners and placards. They complained that the previous government had regularized around seventy thousands employees in different ministries from grade 1 to 19, but the regularization policy did not include teachers. Talking to The Nation, a teacher Rooh-ul-Amin said that daily wages teachers are earning less than an ordinary labourer.
“It is the fifth time that daily wages teachers are celebrating this day as black day,” he said.
He said that the government is not at all concerned about the teachers who have been protesting their demands for the last five years. He said that the regularization of FDE employees but not the teachers revealed the double standards of the ministry. “Since the last four months, we have not been paid our salaries either” he added.
Representative Daily Wages Association, Fahd Meraj talking to The Nation, said that teachers boycotted classes in both shifts to mark this day as black day.
“After every three months teachers run for their salaries to government departments,” he said
Meanwhile, Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) also demanded privileges for the higher education teachers’ community.
FAPUASA Islamabad President Dr Shehzad Ashraf Chaudhry said that as International Teachers’ Day is being celebrated on 5th October, FAPUASA mourns that university teachers in Pakistan are facing a number of problems.
He said that the teaching fraternity in Pakistan is the lowest paid community. He said that their perks and privileges are so less compared to other professions in the country.
“In the developed countries, the teachers are given due respect and are one of the best-paid professions,” he said.
He said that FAPUASA demands that teachers in all public sector universities should be empowered by given their due share in decision making forums of universities and higher education commission.
The salaries and perks should be increased by 100 per cent to make it at par with bureaucracy and other professions. The educational budget should be increased by at least 5 per cent of GDP and tax rebate be restored at 75 per cent.
FAPUASA also condemned the authorities of IIUI for not punishing the culprits involved in disruption of FAPUASA convention to discuss various academic issues. The twofold theme of this year’s World Teachers’ Day is “Teaching in Freedom, Empowering Teachers”.