Teachers demanded in FG School Shahdara

Petitioner claims eight of the 11 sanctioned posts are lying vacant.

ISLAMABAD:

The Parents Teachers Association (PTA) of Federal Government Girls School Shahdara on Monday moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to demand for placements on vacant posts in the institute.

The petitioner, Chaudhry Waqas, president of the school’s PTA, said that out of the 11 sanctioned posts in the school, eight are lying vacant, while the school has been without a principal for the last two years. The petitioner made Secretary Education, Director-General Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) Chaudhry Muhammad Nazir and a teacher of FG Junior Model School I-9/4, Abida Bibi, as respondents.

During the course of hearing, Justice Riaz Ahmed of IHC directed Director-General FDE to submit a reply within two weeks.

The petitioner, through his council, Chaudhry Imtiaz Ahmed, said that there has been no increase in the school’s teaching staff for the past two years, which is evident of the “discriminatory attitude by authorities”. He said the school has fewer teachers as compared to F G Secondary School Kot Hathial and Barakahu, which are also located in the outskirts of Islamabad. He said that it was the responsibility of the authorities concerned to provide basic facilities to students of rural areas of the city, who are already deprived of their basic rights.

The petitioner claimed that one of the respondents, Abida, while posted as Trained Graduate Teacher (TDT) at Shahdara School, was also performing duties in F G Junior Model School I-9/4, “which is unjust”. He also claimed that science subject has not been taught in the school for the past two years.

He pleaded the court to direct the respondents to fill the vacant posts with qualified teachers and direct the teacher, Abida, to perform her duties only at Shahdara School, where she was originally posted.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 26^th, 2011.