June 3, 2006	Saturday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 6, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, June 2: Federal Education Minister, Lt-Gen (Rtd) Javed Ashraf Qazi on Friday said the government had decided in principle to increase teachers’ salaries in the budget. .

He was talking to a seven-member delegation of the All Pakistan Teachers United Forum (APTUF) at his office, sources in the ministry said.

The sources said the minister told the delegation that it was due to persistent efforts of the ministry that the government had in principle agreed to raise the salaries of the teachers along with a special teaching allowance.

He said the teaching allowance would be merged into the salaries according to the basic qualifications of the teachers. He said the federal government had also agreed to his proposal for raising the basic scale of teachers from BPS 7 to BPS 9, which was evident of the government’s resolve to accord priority to the teaching community.

During the meeting the delegation assured the forum’s full support to the ministry of education in its endeavours to revolutionise education sector by implementing the reforms at the grass-roots level.

The delegation strongly supported the steps taken by the ministry; reviewing the national education policy, updating the national curriculum, introduction of new examination reforms, teaching of Islamiyat from class 3 instead of class 4, and assured the minister that the teaching community, as a major stakeholder, warmly welcomed and strongly supported the initiatives of the ministry.

The delegation also rejected the claim of the politico-religio elements that teaching of Islamiyat has been deleted from class 1 and 2 and Pakistan Studies has been distorted in the national curriculum.

The minister maintained that both the President and the Prime Minister had fulfilled their pledge by enhancing the pay structure of the teachers.

“I would personally pursue the case with the leadership for getting the time-scale promotions for all the teachers approved which would be linked with the performance,” the minister said.

The delegation, consisting of President, APUTF, Haji Ghaffar Kadazai, Hafiz Ghulam Mohammad, Hafiz Abdul Nasir, Dr Sager Alam, Hamad Lodhi, Muzamil Tarnabi, Abdul Munaf, Sardar Gul, Abdul Rasheed and Allah Bux thanked the minister for pleading their cause at the highest forum and assured their maximum support in implementing the reforms of the government in the education sector.