Over 400 teachers in 36 municipal schools are not getting same perks as enjoyed by their general cadre counterparts. PHOTO: FILE
For almost the entire length of their service, teachers in Rawalpindi work in the same grades as they had started.
Around 470 teachers in 36 municipal schools -also known as MC schools - are awaiting promotions in the next grade since 1990.
The MC schools were put under the district education authority in July 2002.
The district coordination officer was authorised to appoint, promote, suspend and punish officials in municipal schools from grade 1 to 11, whereas for higher grades, the same authority was invested in the office of the district nazim or administrator.
Teachers in these schools complained that they were not getting the same perks as general cadre teachers.
“We are being deprived of our due rights for the last 24 years in violation of government rules and regulations,” said a senior teacher at the Government Municipal High School Millat Colony.
She has not received an increment since 1998 and her approval is pending with education secretary for the last 16 years. “Similarly, thousands of teachers throughout the province are denied wage increments,” she said.
Muhammad Ali, a primary school teacher in the Government Municipal High School for Boys Satellite Town, is entitled to receive three increments for his higher education but his case is yet to be entertained by relevant department.
Punjab Municipal Teachers Union Vice President Maulana Abdur Rasheed said, “We are held responsible for poor results but no one asks about our welfare.”
From bad to worse
They also complained that general cadre teachers are being appointed in their cadre against the existing rules.
A Punjab Local Government Department notification dated April 10, 2010 states that seniority, promotion and rules of business of both departments are quiet different and no employee of general cadre can be transferred from government schools to municipal schools.
However, the teachers claimed that over 200 general cadre teachers were transferred to the MC. Rasheed said the issue was taken up with the relevant department but the transfer from general cadre still continues.
Education Executive District Officer Qazi Zahoorul Haq said teachers are being promoted and any aggrieved people should contact him.
About the transfer of teachers across the cadres, he said the municipal schools are called “defunct schools” as they were merged in schools which fall under the district education department. “Since no recruitment has been done in the MC schools since then, we transferred teachers from the general cadre to fill vacant seats,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 5th, 2014.
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