PM’s package: Teachers reject partial implementation

The notification issued by CADD did not approve the upgradation component.

ISLAMABAD:

Teachers on Sunday rejected the partial implementation of the package announced by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani last year.

The Federal Government Colleges Teachers Association (FGCTA) said they will resume classes but will continue to protest as the demand for upgradation of college lecturers to BPS-18 has not been approved by the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD). The division only gave approval to the time-scale component, a representative of the association said.

(Read: Special package for teachers today)

CADD issued a notification, partially approving the package for federal government teachers and professors, which has already been implemented in schools. The package has two key components: upgradation of scale and time-scale formula. The notification, however, said nothing about the upgradation of college lecturers’ grade to BPS-18.

The association’s representative said since the grade of the schools teachers has been upgraded from BPS-9 to BPS-14, BPS-14 to BPS-16, and BPS-16 to BPS-17, the basic grade of a college lecturer be at least a grade higher than school teachers.

FGCTA General Secretary Tahir Mehmood told The Express Tribune that the key demand of the upgradation scale has not been met. Mehmood said CADD has intentionally disapproved the “key component”. However keeping in view the losses of the students, they decided to take some classes and continue the protest alongside, he added. He said a lecturer should be appointed at BPS-18 rather than BPS-17, and the pay scale of assistant professors should be up-graded to BPS-19.

The notification outlines the promotion criteria for college teach as follows: five years of experience is required to be promoted to BPS-18 from BPS-17. For promotion to BPS-19, a seven years experience in BPS-18 or a total of 12 years service in BPS-17 and BPS-18 is needed. BPS-20 requires a total of 19 years of experience in BPS-17, BPS-19 and BPS-19. Finally, in order to be promoted to BPS-21, five year service in BPS-20 or a total of 24 years in BPS-17, 18, 19 and 20 is required.

CADD Joint Secretary Professor Rafiq Tahir defended the notification by saying that the teachers had authored the package themselves and CADD had only facilitated the approval without any additional input. He added the package was formulated on February 18, by the then education ministry in consultation with the College Teachers Association whereas CADD was established in May following the devolution of the ministry to the provinces.

“We approved 100% of the package announced by the prime minister last year and there is no further need to review it,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 17^th, 2011.