Under the Aghaz-e-Hoqooq-e-Balochistan Package, formulated in June 2010, 5,000 male and female teachers were appointed in various districts of Balochistan. Some 700 appointees were posted as assistant lecturers and 4, 300 were adjusted in high schools. The package was considered a wonderful move towards the welfare of education in the neglected province. However, as a cause of panic and sense of disappointment among the skilled and qualified youth, the matter of their regularisation remains in pending. Though bringing an enormous change in the standard of education within two and half years, the future of these teachers remains insecure. These contractual teachers, selected on the basis of merit, therefore, should be regularised as it is their fundamental right. The silence of high officials over the protests and hunger strikes held in different cities of Balochistan, including the capital of Quetta, is disappointing and disturbing for the packaged teachers and students. Not only are the teachers suffering from a constant sense of discrimination but the students are also disturbed. After tiring and continuous protests and hunger strikes, the high officials have agreed to regularise the college teachers but, unfortunately, with the unacceptable proposal of shifting them to schools as 16 grade teachers, which is an injustice with college students who are already suffering from lack of quality education and skilled teachers. Therefore, they should be regularised as grade teachers in college since they deserve it.
Although the government claims to have solved the problems of the Baloch youth, no action has been taken yet. On January 10, 2013, Rehman Malik, and on January 11, 2013 the prime minister made the announcement to regularise all of contractual teachers, which, to date, remains a distant dream. Minister Khurshid Shah, on December 11, 2012, claimed to issue a notification regarding the teachers’ jobs within 15 days. However, the teachers, along with the students, are still awaiting good news. It is now high time practical steps were taken to regularize these qualified teachers since playing with the future of teachers and students will have destructive effects.
ASMA BALOCH,
Turbat, March 19.