Pakistan

Teachers’ strike: Labour Party slams AKES management’s handling of strike

Labour Party (LP) Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) Chapter speaks in favour of teachers.

Shabbir Mir April 06, 2011

GILGIT:

As the divide between the Aga Khan Education Service (AKES) and teachers continues to widen, Labour Party (LP) Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) Chapter on Tuesday spoke in favour of the teachers.

“We hold the management of AKES responsible for the unrest among the teachers in G-B and demand their immediate suspension from service,” said a statement issued by the LP.

Over 800 teachers in 130 Diamond Jubilee (DJ) schools across G-B have been boycotting classes since April 1, demanding a revision in their pay structure and higher quality of education in schools. The strike also led to the suspension of examinations in the region.

“Apart from salaries, we are also demanding induction of more teachers to improve the quality of education in the region,” said Shafie, a senior teacher of a DJ school in Gilgit.

He said he was getting a “meagre” salary of Rs14,000, despite having 25 years of teaching experience. “There are others who hardly get Rs9,500 while having nearly 30 years of experience,” he said, adding that it was sheer injustice to them.

The issue first emerged in 2008 and continues without any viable solution in sight. Shafie they would go on a hunder strike outside the Gilgit Secretariat and approach human rights’ organisations and the courts if AKES continued to ignore their demands.

There are about 30,000 students enrolled in DJ schools, which have been operating in G-B and Chitral since the 1940s.

The LP party statement demanded the dissolution of the management structure of AKES and said that they have been looting poor parents in the name of quality education while drawing huge financial benefits for many years.

The statement said, “If there is no money for teachers, unnecessary expenditures in the service should be curtailed with immediate effect.”

AKES officials were not immediately available for a comment.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 6^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (6)

Bloglaw | 13 years ago | Reply @oneeffectee; what I don't understand is if AKES DJI schools are compared to private schools or government schools and what fees are charged by government schools and private schools and AKES schools? also why do you and others effectee's think AKES standards have become worst than before as you say in Chitral and Gilgit areas?

OneEffectee | 13 years ago | Reply @blogLaw: All the above were true when EU was funding AKES in Chitral and Gilgit. The situation now is worst. At newly established Aga Khan Higher Secondary School of Boys in Chitral lecturers are leaving it every now and then. The management is always busy in hiring new ones throughout the year. They are being offered only Rs. 12000/- as a starting salary to them where in other private institutes the same guy is offered Rs. 20000/+. Due to this fact academically-not-mature teachers are hired. I have learned that most of the students were getting private tuitions after schools. So where is the quality when a student paying Rs. 6000/pm in remotest area of Pakistan is compelled to have tuition.?.. There is no mechanism in fee increase. Fees are increased year by year but quality is down with the same speed. They dont have clear strategy to retain their teachers. Quality does not come only from Buildings....

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bloglaw | 13 years ago | Reply @OneEffectee: AKES currently operates more than 280 schools and advanced educational programmes that provide quality pre-school, primary, secondary, and higher secondary education services to more than 54,000 students in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Tajikistan. If DJI has 30,000 students than DJI represents more than 50% of all AKES students and schools. Supported by the Aga Khan Foundation, and European union funds, AKES is committed to achieving excellence by continuous improvement of its programmes, services, and processes. The leading characteristics of the work of the Aga Khan Education Services are: The continuing pursuit of excellence in educational practice and management in diverse and challenging settings; child-centred teaching methods; A special emphasis on female education; and school-based teacher training. Currently, the major initiatives throughout the system include: the introduction of computers and distance learning to supplement teaching and improve learning methods; the improvement of physical infrastructure, particularly of community-based schools; Advanced teacher training Is AKES not doing the above and not paying a competitive salary and benefits to the Teachers ? Is AKES charging students the same or lower than other schools in the area ?

bloglaw | 13 years ago | Reply Whether the Aga Khan education services are good in the past or in other parts of the world, is not a reason to assume that in this part of the world the Aga Khan Institution is following the high ethics and values set by the Aga Khan and his iinstitution. If that was the case then there would not be these strikes by Teachers or demands for fairness and better education, training, pay and more teachers.. This has been going on for 3 years and involves 30,000 students who are Ismailies and non Ismailies. It is very surprising that this was not forseen by the management of the Aga Khan institutional leaders, or resolved in 2008 or before they went on strike with students and their families suffering and no examinations. This could have been prempted. It is not therefore surprising the Labour party and the media are questioning the Management of the Aga Khan Education services. I hope the Managment of Aga Khan Education Services will listen and resolve all the issues and preempt any such issues reoccuring again.

Vancouverite | 13 years ago | Reply AKES has educated thousands of children under difficult circumstances in Africa and Asia for over a 100 years. As a former student of AKES, I have full confidence in the management of AKES. The comments by the Labour Party are highly irresponsible. The Labour Party should be ashamed of exploiting AKES for political purposes. The journalist reporting the story also has to be more circumspect with his news articles. For example, I understand that there are many teachers in Gilgit who do not have formal college training. While the teacher Shafie may have many years of experience, it is unclear whether he has formal credentials to provide a more current and relevant standard of teaching.

OneEffectee | 13 years ago | Reply This is high time for AKES teachers. I appreciate the efforts of AKES teachers as they are giving their services in schools in a very meager salary. The only thing AKES is doing is increasing the school fees day by day. They have totally failed to provide quality education in their schools. In Chitral they established Aga Khan Higer Secondary School for boys and girls with the aid of European Union. The teacher situation in the schools is totally worse. Teachers are leaving the schools for better prospects and the managment is busy in hiring new teachers throughout the year. This has totally destroyed the students precous time and money. It is shame for the AKES management that despite getting high fees from the student in such a remote and poor region they have failed to provide quality education to the students. There are other private schools in the region which are providing the same or better quality of education in compared to AKES. It is nothing more than a money making machine now.

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