Massive demo by teachers leaves an impression

ISLAMABAD, Feb 21: Teachers of the federal government schools in the city staged a massive demonstration outside the Parliament House here on Monday to reject the up-gradation plan announced by the finance division for them over the weekend as "deceptive and vague". Thousands of them, both male and female, filled the vast square in front of the Parliament House and the Presidency. Chanting slogans and waving placards and banners, they asked the government to keep its word to improve their pay and service structure and to introduce uniform education system. "Prime minister, fulfil your promise," cried the demonstrators and their placards. It was a spirited protest by the teachers who had been boycotting classes for a week to press their demands. They assembled outside the National Press Club before marching on the heavily barricaded square. Apparently the massive demonstration left an impression on the government. When contacted after the protest had ended peacefully, Director-General of the Federal Directorate of Education Shahina Khan said the issue would be resolved on Tuesday as she had received a directive to fulfil the promises made to the teachers by the government. Protest leaders had charged in the speeches they made outside the National Press Club and the Parliament House that the government had let the teachers down. "It is surprising that the government which itself had started so enthusiastically the process of ending the two education systems followed by the Federal Directorate of Education has now backed out of its commitment. The so-called up-gradation makes the issue more confusing than introducing a uniform system of education in the federal capital," said Ms Shabana, a teacher. "This ambiguous up-gradation plan exposes the hollowness of the commitments and claims of the government. It flies in the face of the authorities who say they would abolish the parallel education system in the whole country. They can`t create a uniform system in the federal capital, let alone the entire country," said Mr Akram, a teacher. "The new service structure is just an eyewash, aimed at hoodwinking the teachers of federal government schools. It is a joke to claim that it would do away the two parallel education systems and service structures. In fact it would widen the unwanted gap between the F.G. schools and the model colleges," said Tariq Khattak, secretary general of heads association of federal government schools. Both the teachers and heads associations have rejected the new service structure saying it was not what they had been promised. Their demands include up-gradation of all the posts and teaching staff of F.G. schools; providing the same facilities and allowances as are allowed to teachers of model colleges; uniformity between F.G. institutions and model colleges and removing the conditions for up-gradation. With the issue unresolved, the federal government schools remain closed. The centralised annual examination of class 5th scheduled to begin on February 19 has already been postponed.