Permanent solution: K-P govt to regularise services of ad hoc lecturers in FATA

Status of teaching assistants to also be resolved

PESHAWAR: The provincial government is planning to regularise the services of ad hoc lecturers and teaching assistants in the tribal belt. This was said by K-P Government Spokesperson and Special Assistant to CM Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani during a high-level meeting held in the city on Tuesday. The moot aimed to review the process of regularising lecturers from Fata after many of them took to the streets in January over the failure to make them permanent.

According to Ghani, a summary will be drafted to regularise lecturers. Once feedback has been received on the summary from the law, establishment and finance departments, it will be forwarded to the chief minister for approval.

Teaching assistants

“A committee has been constituted to look into the regularisation of teaching assistants,” he said. “The committee comprises the additional secretary of the higher education department, college directors. Representatives of finance, law and establishment departments will also submit their suggestions on the matter.”

He added, “The regularisation of teaching assistants is a legal issue and we will find a way to address the matter.”

Ghani said the committee will discuss the status of teaching assistants and suggest measures for their regularisation.

He added teaching assistants were appointed on merit after their results were obtained through the Higher Education Testing Authority and deemed satisfactory.

“Teaching assistants were appointed on a temporary basis and received a fixed pay,” he said. “However, their appointments must be regularised.”

Not replacements

According to Ghani, teaching assistants were hired to make up for the shortage of teachers. “They were not appointed as replacements,” he said. “As a result, there are several legal issues hampering their regularisation.”

He added it was initially decided Rs15,000 will be paid to teaching assistants every month. “However, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak said it was insufficient and said the amount should be revised to Rs30,000 per month.” In January, a large number of ad hoc lecturers from Fata protested against the failure to extend their contracts and make them permanent.

In March 2015, the government announced the formulation of a committee to regularise their services. However, little has been done in this regard.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 17^th, 2016.