Bleak future: Teachers take to the streets in Hangu

Vow to continue protests till demands are met.

HANGU: Teachers from the tribal belt held a protest outside the office of the Hangu Union of Journalists on Saturday over the failure of the government to upgrade them as promised earlier.

A large number of teachers addressed participants at the demonstration. They voiced their dissatisfaction over the indifference shown towards their plight by the government.

They vowed to continue protests and boycott classes if their demands are not fulfilled.

According to the teachers, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government had upgraded teachers in 2012.  However, those instructors who are working at government schools in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas have not been upgraded even though they are funded by Ministry of States and Frontier Regions

The protesters said they have been neglected by the education department, FATA Secretariat and Ministry of States and Frontier Regions. They urged them to immediately address their grievances.

The teachers said Fata has already fallen prey to the scourge of militancy which has resulted in casualties and infrastructural damage. They added efforts must be made to repair schools that have been damaged in militant attacks.

Earlier this week, teachers from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas protested at D-Chowk, Islamabad over their long-standing demand for upgradation.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 9^th, 2016.