KARACHI - Primary schoolteachers staged a protest outside the Sindh Secretariat against the provincial secretary education and education policies of the Sindh Education Department towards the primary section of the education on Monday.
Hundreds of primary teachers including men and women coming from interior Sindh took out a rally from Karachi Press Club to Sindh Secretariat. A heavy contingent of Karachi Police intercepted the rally in front of assembly gate but failed to stop them to reach the secretariat, where the protesting teachers also staged a sit-in.
The protesters were chanting slogans against the education department, and demanding the removal of the provincial secretary education. The protesters were of the view that the government has removed the teachers’ quota, which should be reinstated as soon as possible. They have demanded the government to immediately terminate the Employee Ordinance 2000.
All Sindh Primary Teachers Association (ASPTA) President Rafique Jarwar, addressing the protestors, demanded of the provincial government to right away remove secretary education following his anti-education steps.
He presented around 19 demands of the teachers’ community in front of the government. He said that Minister for Education Nisar Khuhro had disappointed us for not considering our demands, presented earlier in front of the department’s higher ups, while they assured us that all demanded will be approved. As many as seven months have passed but the government did nothing in this regards.
Other demands include bringing to an end pay cuts of winter and summer vacations, restoration of son quota; increase in medical allowance; opening all school ; reinstating increments-stopped in 2001; increase in house rent and build a teachers society.