Education authorities: Teachers’ protest campaign continues

Govt says protests against district education bodies are premature.

LAHORE:

The Punjab Teachers’ Union (PTU) will stage a protest demonstration in Vehari on Tuesday (today).

This is the 14th protest being organised by the PTU in two weeks.

Teachers started protesting on October 5, marked as World Teachers Day.

The teachers are protesting proposed district education authorities the Schools Education Department currently working on a framework for the authorities.

Protests have been held in various districts across the province, including Sheikhupura, Rahim Yar Khan, Sialkot, Muzaffargarh, Lodhran, Okara and Jhelum since mid-October.



PTU President Syed Sajjad Akbar Kazmi has said that the DEAs are an attempt to politicise public sector education. He said under the DEAs, politicians will have the power to influence recruitment of teachers.

“The PTU opposes the establishment of the DEAs as it would result in recruitment on political basis rather than merit,” he said.

Last month, the government had established a commission to formulate the framework for the DEAs. The four-member commission, which includes Schools Education Department Additional Secretary General Ahmed Ali Kamboh and the Education Executive District Officer (EDO) Parvez Akhtar Khan, has still not come up with a framework.

They say deliberations are currently underway.

“We are in no position to comment on the DEA yet since nothing substantial has been decided regarding the body,” the EDO told The Express Tribune.



He says the protests are premature.

“How can something be termed good or bad while it is yet to be formulated?” he asked.

He says besides for the composition of the DEA body, several matters regarding the functioning and status of the DEA had yet to be determined.

“All those protesting should come clean about what they are protesting against,” he said.

He says the teachers should let the commission evolve a framework before protesting.

“I have been a teacher and understand their concerns,” he said However, he urged the teachers to wait for a proposed framework before turning it down. Khan declined to say when the commission would announce its suggestions regarding the DEA framework.

Talking to The Express Tribune, PTU General Secretary Rana Liaquat Ali said the next series of protests will be started from November 18.

Ali said the Minister for Education Rana Mashood had invited teachers for a dialogue and had urged them to call off the protests.

He said a meeting between the PTU and the minister was expected later in the week.

He said the protests will also be held in Rawalpindi, Multan followed by Lahore on November 28.

Teachers will also take out a protest rally from Nasser Bagh to the Chief Minister’s Secretariat to mark the month of protests.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 5^th, 2013.