Over 1,000 teachers finally enter BPS-17

Some of them had to wait for more than twenty years.

ISLAMABAD:

The Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) on Wednesday issued notifications of the promotions of 1,046 trained graduate teachers (TGT) working under the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) from  BPS-16 to BPS-17. The promotions were part of the upgradation package announced by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on October 5 last year.

The notification said, 474 male and 572 female teachers have been promoted from TGT to secondary school teachers which would make them eligible for other benefits.

The notification showed that only those teachers who had a minimum of three years of experience were promoted, and had been serving in Grade 16 since December 31, 2010 or more. Most of these teachers hold masters and BEd degrees.

The teachers had been very vocal in demanding promotions, as some had not been promoted since 1989.

The promotion cases of Grade-16 TGTs were held up because the rules only allow for promotions to Grade-17 through the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC). However, negotiations between the teachers’ association and FDE officials led to the creation of a formula to ensure theirs promotion without FPSC involvement.

CADD Joint Secretary Prof Rafique Tahir said that Wednesday’s notification was a historic achievement and earned promotions for teachers who have been waiting for as long as two decades.

He said that the CADD division would also issue notifications for college teachers who had recently been promoted from BPS-17 to BPS-18. “It is for the first time that so many employees have been promoted simultaneously,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 26^th, 2012.