May 21, 2007	Monday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 04, 1428

LAHORE, May 20: The Teachers Joint Action Committee has announced holding of a protest demonstration outside the Parliament House in Islamabad on Tuesday (tomorrow).

The decision to hold the demonstration was taken at a committee meeting held here on Sunday with Raja Arshad in the chair.

The participants criticised the government for refusing to grant teaching allowance to the teachers despite the announcement of the federal government.

They said that teachers were suffering on account of wrong policies of the government. Primary, middle and secondary school teachers had been working in the same grade for the last 20 to 25 years owing to withdrawal of selection grade and move-over facilities. Contract teachers were also underpaid.

Teachers said that the standard of education was deteriorating and the talented persons had stopped joining the teaching profession because of handing over of control of schools to NGOs.