Teachers start long march from Larkana to Karachi

Demand regularisation of thousands of teachers appointed in 2017 on contract

HYDERABAD: The government primary school teachers have set upon a long march all the way from Larkana district to Karachi, demanding regularisation and other facilities. The march, organised by Primary Teachers Association (PTA), started from the mausoleum of the Bhuttos in Garhi Khuda Baksh on Saturday and reached Larkana on Sunday.

Led by PTA President Shafi Muhammad Sathio, hundreds of teachers from districts of Hyderabad, Sukkur and Larkana divisions are participating in the protest. "The government has been procrastinating to regularise thousands of teachers appointed in 2017 on contract," said Sathio while speaking to the media.



According to him, the government teachers were appointed after written tests conducted separately by the National Testing Service and the Sindh University in 2017. He also called to resolve a host of problems in the biometric attendance system.

"Education Minister Sardar Ali Shah seems to be a sincere and education friendly person. We expect that he should listen to our woes and demands considerately and offer an acceptable solution," said Sathio. However, he and other office bearers of the association who addressed the protesters in Larkana clarified that their march will not end on mere assurances.



Aneesur Rehman Junejo said the teachers also want a children quota as is being provided to the public servants in other government departments. He also called for providing group health insurance to the teachers like their counterparts have been given in Balochistan.

The march will pass through several districts of Sindh en route Karachi where a protest will be held outside the Chief Minister House.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 13^th, 2018.