Overstepping the system: Debate rages over ‘promotion’ of a grade 18 teacher to a grade 19 post

Rafia Mallah says that she has not been promoted, but only asked to take charge.


Noman Ahmed March 25, 2013
Out of turn promotions and non-cadre to cadre transfers are not restricted to an individual as it is a practice that the whole education department is accustomed to. PHOTO: FILE

KARACHI: The sought-after administrative posts at the Sindh education department sparked a controversy yet again when the departing Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah allowed a grade 18 college teacher to take charge of the office of Sindh Private Schools director - a position reserved for a grade 19 officer.

The new director, Rafia Mallah, who also served as the examinations controller at the Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK), was transferred from teaching cadre to an administrative post of Private Schools’ deputy director in 2010.



Such transfers, from teaching to administrative posts, however, are illegal according to the government rules. “Mallah was a college assistant professor before she was given the post of deputy director of private schools, and later examinations controller at the BSEK,” said Aneesur Rehman, convener of the Taleem Bachao Action Committee - a private body maintaining surveillance over education department.

Rehman explained that according to law, a person responsible for teaching at colleges cannot be given a post in school education. “Teachers according to government rules are not entitled for an administrative post and her [Mallah] appointments were a clear violation of the law,” he said.



Rehman claimed that in a meeting held with education secretary, Fazlullah Pechuho, he reaffirmed that college teachers will not be posted at vacant administrative posts at public schools because their responsibility was to teach at the colleges.

An inquiry conducted in October 2011 by the education department’s special secretary, Sajjad Hussain Abbasi, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune revealed more puzzling details.

In 2006 her seniority rank in the list of college lecturers was 636. In 2008 it was 625. In 2010, however, when she was finally transferred and promoted to the deputy director of private schools, a grade-18 officer post, her rank improved to 104 but her name also changed from Rafia Mallah to Rafia Aijaz.

“Never has she used this name [Rafia Aijaz] in her life. The change in name means something fishy has occurred,” said a well placed source in the education department.

Out of turn promotions and non-cadre to cadre transfers are not restricted to an individual as it is a practice that the whole education department is accustomed to. Even, Shahnaz Mazhar, former education minister Pir Mazharul Haq’s wife, was appointed on a cadre post as additional secretary for training and learning in the education department although she was a college associate professor at that time.

“If appointments in the education department will be given on political basis, one cannot expect any progress despite spending billions of rupees on education,” said Abdul Rehman, the secretary general of the action committee.

On the other hand

When contacted, Rafia Mallah denied being promoted. “The former private schools’ director, Mansoob Hussain Siddiqui, has been promoted to grade 20 and became director general for schools. I was only asked to look after the directorate of private schools without a formal promotion.”

The law allows a lower grade officer to handle the office of a higher grade if he agrees to work on the old pay-scale. But many bureaucrats believe that this practice prevents seniors in the department from being hired at deserving seats.

“The rumours about my out of turn promotions are being spread by people who wanted to be at this position in my place,” maintained Mallah.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 25th, 2013.

COMMENTS (1)

Saleem | 11 years ago | Reply No political appointees - a promotion must be on merit from a pool of qualified candidates.
Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ