ISLAMABAD, Jan 21: Federal Minister for Education Lt-Gen (retired) Javed Ashraf Qazi on Friday defended the government policy to hire services of teachers on contract basis and claimed that the contractual teachers were “more happy than those working on regular basis”.

The minister made this statement on the floor of the Senate during question hour in response to the criticism by some opposition members over a high number of teachers working on contract basis in the schools and colleges of Islamabad under the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE).

In a written reply to a question of Dr Mohammad Saeed, the education minister told the Senate that, at present, 563 teachers had been working on contract basis in federal government schools, Islamabad model colleges and FG colleges. He further said there was no proposal under consideration of the government to regularize the services of the contractual teachers.

Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) Senator Dr Ismail Buledi asked as to why the government was not taking steps to end this “contractual employment menace” which had created unrest among teachers and employees working in other organizations on contract basis.

Dr Mohammad Saeed said there was a strong discontent among the teachers who had been working on contract basis for the past so many years. He termed the contractual employment as against the fundamental laws and a tool of exploitation.

Another MMA senator, Liaquat Bangalzai, said if a person could teach in any educational institution for three years, then why his services could not be regularized on the basis of this experience.

He said only efficient and eligible persons could teach in the government schools for three or more years, then there should be no question of their performance.

Awami National Party (ANP) Senator Ilyas Bilour alleged that the contractual employment system was being promoted only to benefit and provide jobs to the favourites.

Responding to the points raised by the opposition senators, the education minister said contractual employments were offered under “special requirements”.

He said some of the teachers had been working against leave vacancies. He said the contractual teachers knew at the time of joining that they had been offered the job for a certain period.

Mr Qazi said if someone wanted to get his or her services regularized then he or she would have to clear the examination of the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) and the government would have no objection in regularizing the services.