A file photo of protesting teachers. PHOTOS: PPI/MUHAMMAD JAVAID
Teachers from different universities in the country on Monday sought government support for lifting a ban on recruitment in federal universities, withdrawal of a decision on tax rebates for teachers, and issues surfacing in Sindh varsities.
The Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUSA) executive body held a press conference at the National Press Club and urged the government to resolve pending issues, including the “immediate appointment” of a new Higher Education Commission (HEC) chief.
“We are using strikes and boycott of classes based on demands which are affecting not only a province or two, but every university of the country,” said FAPUSA General Secretary Dr Jamil Ahmad Chitrali, while flanked by the body’s president and provincial heads.
Currently, the issues gripping universities include the lack of funding — with Rs 2.9 billion still unpaid by the HEC from the last fiscal year — which has taken a toll on universities such as Gomal University and others, where staff are still waiting for their salaries.
“HEC Executive Director Mukhtar Ahmad told us that the ministry of education is touch with finance division and the issue will soon be resolved,” said Chitrali.
He criticised the Sindh Universities Act, which has “literally snatched’ key appointment powers from university syndicates and shifted them to the Sindh chief minister.
“The universities and HEC should make them more autonomous so that political intervention cannot disrupt academic affairs,” he remarked.
He also flayed the government’s decision to withdraw tax waiver exceptions from deans, chairmen or any other teachers with additional administrative charges. “It will lead to nowhere but surrender of the ‘extra burden’ if they are to face cuts in their salaries,” he added.
He urged the government to lift the ban on recruitment in federal universities to resolve the issue of inclusion of fresh faculty where it is inevitable and facing several problems.
Earlier, in a FAPUASA meeting with HEC ED and other senior commission staff, various problems concerning the higher education sector, both at federal and provincial levels, were discussed.
The meeting agreed to convey the concerns of FAPUASA regarding legislation to the concerned authorities, and that they will be requested to take all stakeholders on board including students and teachers.
The ED assured teachers’ issues concerning internal management and university regulations will be addressed on priority.
The meeting discussed problems on applicability of research publications and experience for Basic Pay Scale and Tenure Track System criteria, revision of post-PhD experience, revisiting relaxation for engineering and law faculty and other similar cases, problems of journals’ recognition and upgradation.
Dr Chitrali said he was also in contact with All Pakistan Colleges Academic Staff Associations and PCSIR Laboratories and the output of this effort will be shared with them.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 5th, 2013.
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