Since June: Over 400 staff of community schools yet to be paid

Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training blamed for outstanding dues.

ISLAMABAD: The education ministry has been accused of dragging its feet as more than 400 employees of Basic Education Community Schools (BECS) have yet to receive their salaries since June this year.

It is the third time in the last two years that the employees have faced salary delay with the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training dragging its feet and not resolving the issue for good.

The schools are based on the non-formal basic education system with a single home-based room for class one to five, with premises provided free of cost by local communities across the country.

In each school, 30 learners of ages four-16 years are mandatory.

Around 423 staffers at the BECS Headquarters in Sector G-8 are longing for their salaries for the last three months. “We cannot leave, nor can we lodge a complaint in court. We can only wait,” said an official in the administration department.  Uncertainty and hopelessness haunt every employee of the organisation.

Those awaiting their dues include officials of all ranks, from the director general to the peon, moreover, there is no one to head the organisation as the last DG was recently transferred.

A senior official at the BECS office told The Express Tribune that the minister has been intimated several times but they have yet to hear any ‘good’ news. “Almost all junior and senior members inquire about the salary as soon as they enter the office building but always get the same reply,” he added.

An official at the ministry said all of employees are working on a contract and this fiscal year saw their first budget for which Rs120 million was announced for it. “We are going through the process and hopefully within this week the issue will be resolved,” the officer commented.

Moreover, over 12,000 teachers from across the country also have to get some dues paid to them by the ministry.

A single teacher is responsible for classes one to five of a BEC School by adopting a multi-grade teaching method based on concurrent curriculum. The teachers’ honorarium, learning material and textbooks are provided by the government.

Earlier this year, the issue of salaries also came under the discussion in the Senate Standing Committee on Education. The chairperson of the committee, Awami National Party Senator Abdul Nabi Bangash, directed the ministry to release the salaries at the earliest. However, his directions fell on deaf ears as the issue continues to linger.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 16^th, 2014.