Students march in support of protesting teachers in K-P

Faculty of governor model schools remains unpaid for four months

PESHAWAR: Students of Governor Model Schools came out on the streets in Ghallanai and Momad Gat in support of their teachers who were boycotting classes for the last one week as protest over non-payment of salaries for the past four months.

The students of Governor Model Schools Ghallanai stage protest in front of Mohmand Press Club on Friday while student of Governor Model School Mamad Gat had marched on Thursday.

The students blocked Mohmand-Bajaur Road for some time and demanded that district administration to pay salaries of their teachers.

They criticised the Mohmand deputy commissioner for threatening teachers to end strike and lashed out at the MNA of the constituency for failing to help teachers get their rightful dues.

The teachers in Governor Model Schools Ghallanai and Mamad Gat of Mohmand tribal district were on strike against non-payment of their salary for the last four months.

Governor Model School Mamad Gat Vice Principal Hafizul Amin told The Express Tribune that 41 faculty members of Governor Model Schools Ghallanai and Mamad Gat of Mohmand tribal district are on strike from Monday.



“The teachers have not recived their salaraies for the past four months due to which thye have gone on strike,” Amin said.

The political administration under former Fata setup was responsible for the timely disbursement of salaries to teachers, but following the merger of tribal areas in the province the system has collapsed.

The institutions in tribal areas are facing problems ever since authority shifted from federal government to provincial government. “The biggest issue is who is going to pay us now,” Amin said explaining the problems of people who have not received salaries for months.

Following Fata merger with K-P, the district administration has stopped paying to faculty members after the government abolished Agency Development Funds from where these schools requirements were fulfilled including staff salaries, Amin said.

He added that two month back the teaching staff held a similar protest, where the district administration have paid one month salaries to staff and promised to pay the remaining sum.

In the erstwhile Fata, these model schools were established for providing quality and international level education.

Meanwhile, the district administration officials in Mohmand have assured the teaching staff about payment of their dues once they get special loan of Rs18 million in respect of ADF.

Upper Mohmand Assistant Commissioner Naibdeen Mehsood held a meeting with the protesting teaching staff on Wednesday and assured them of giving their salaries as soon as the provincial government releases the funds.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 8^th, 2018.