After long wait: Promotions on the cards for teachers

LAHORE: After persistent demands of teachers for more than two years, the Punjab government is finally considering promoting officers to the next grade in the School Education Department (SED).

More than 400 officials in grades 18 and 19 are in line to be promoted to the next grade but teachers are still dismayed over the delay in the orders.

According to a district-wise list of 445 officials of the SED, the Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD) has called the performance evaluation reports (PER) and results of the mentioned officials for 2016.

After the reports are submitted, the officials will be interviewed by the Punjab Selection Board (PSB) and will then be promoted to the next grade.

The Punjab Teachers’ Union (PTU) and other teachers’ groups have long been vocal for promotions and have been protesting against the stalled process for the past two years.

Talking to The Express Tribune, PTU General Secretary Rana Liaquat said the promotions had been delayed because of the SED. He said the promotions were due in March but because of the department’s negligence, it would now take several months.

“The SED was supposed to send the PERs and results before March 15. If that had happened, the teachers would have been promoted by March 31,” Liaquat lamented. “But now these teachers will have to wait for the S&GAD to call the selection board for these promotions.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 8^th, 2017.