Money talks: School buses no longer in jeopardy

CADD approves budgets approved for fuel, hiring allowance; daily wagers’ fate in balance.

ISLAMABAD:

The Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) took some important decisions this week regarding the provision of fuel to school buses and some of the allowances and promotions for education department employees.

On Wednesday, CADD approved Rs23 million for fuelling model colleges’ school buses.

Following a decision to abolish students’ funds on November 20 last year, it was feared that bus service might come to a halt because of financial issues.



The principal of Islamabad Model College for Boys F-7/3 and several other colleges had even circulated a letter to parents that transport facility will not available February onward due to unavailability of funds. “The parents are requested to arrange themselves pick and drop for their children,” the notification read, a copy of which was sent to the CADD secretary, joint secretary and director model colleges. To resolve the uncertainty, a meeting of the principals of 20 model colleges was held at Islamabad Model College for Girls F-6/2 headed by Joint Education Secretary (JEA) Rafiq Tahir.

Roof for some

On the other hand, the CADD secretary also approved the allocation of Rs100 million for the hiring allowances of model college teachers. The Finance Division gave the go-ahead for this on December 31.

Some promoted, others not

Besides, CADD approved the promotions of 16 teachers — four headmistresses, nine assistant professors and three teachers — at federal government colleges. Two cases were deferred as the candidates could not produce the required annual confidential reports.

According to the CADD officials, the Departmental Promotion Committee will meet again after two weeks.



Seeking exemption for public good

CADD requested that the Finance Division exempt it from the 30 per cent cut applied to every government department. In the request, it was argued that education and health be exempted from the cut as the amounts would be spent for the public good.

All not well for daily-wagers

Central Academic Staff Association President Rashid Khan expressed concern over the fate of teachers hired as daily wagers.

Later, Khan met JEA along with other senior teachers and discussed the issue. “Now we have nothing to pay to the daily wagers and CADD is also not giving us satisfactory reply despite several meetings with them over this,” he said.

Khan, a teacher at Islamabad College for Boys G-6/3, said that the salaries alone for teaching and non-teaching daily wagers at his college amount to Rs2.5 million per month.

A principal of a model college requesting anonymity said, “The Federal Directorate of Education and the principals were both responsible for the current crisis.  Why did they start new sections for several classes in their colleges without creating the posts first?”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 24^th, 2014.