LAHORE: Punjab Teachers Union (PTU) activists staged on Thursday a massive protest demonstration at Nasser Bagh against government’s failure to resolve teachers’ problems.

Hundreds of male and female teachers gathered at Nasser Bagh while a large number of teachers also staged protest demonstrations in various districts in the province.

PTU leaders also rejected School Education Department’s letter and announced that the teachers would observe academic boycott in schools on Friday (today).

Speaking to protesters, PTU President Syed Sajjad Akbar Kazmi said the department had not regularised the services of 40,000 teachers in Punjab, though the employees of other provincial department had been regularised.

In the garb of rationalisation of teaching posts in the province, Mr Kazmi said, thousands of teachers had been transferred to far off areas.

“If teachers are surplus, why is the Punjab government recruiting more teachers?” he asked.

He said that district and education authorities had violated the re-allocation of teaching posts policy.

PTU leader Rana Liaquat Ali said the department had enhanced student strength in classes from 40 to 50 which would impact the quality of learning. He said the government was posting only two teachers in primary schools instead of six teachers.

He said though teachers paid millions for Teachers Group Insurance but nobody was being given their maturity claims. Only relatives get maturity claim after teachers’ deaths. In other provinces, he said, teachers were being given maturity claims at the time of their retirements.

GUJRAT: Scores of government teachers staged a sit-in against the government and blocked traffic on GT Road near the Chenab bridge.

The highway remained blocked for more than two hours, however, the administration succeeded in opening its other side for traffic as the teachers, especially the female teachers, were sitting on it.

The protesters were carrying banners and placards inscribed with their demands, chanting slogans against the Punjab government.

Addressing the protesters, Punjab Teachers Union district president Chaudhry Sarfraz demanded revision of the basic pay scale of teachers, 100pc increase in their salaries and elimination of monitoring and rationalisation system.

Terming punishment being given to teachers over Class-IX results unjustified, he urged the government not to be so harsh on teachers.

Participants in the protest also passed several resolutions, demanding regularisation of educators and their group insurance. They vowed to carry on their struggle until acceptance of their demands.

DERA GHAZI KHAN: Dozens of teachers from four districts of Dera Ghazi Khan division staged a sit-in at Pull Dat Chowk, demanding transfer of the education executive district officer over his harsh and insulting behaviour with teachers.

Traffic remained jammed for six hours at the roundabout from where road leads to four provinces. Protesters demanded transfer of the Education EDO, alleging he used to insult teachers.

Punjab Teachers Union district president Khalid Mustafa told Dawn the main reason for holding the protest was the unbearable insulting behaviour of the EDO with teachers. The EDO had also failed to work on the roadmap under the policy of the chief minister, he said, adding the teachers from other districts had come to express solidarity with their colleagues from the district.

Union divisional president Farooq Arain also demanded the EDO’s transfer and said the Punjab government should provide group insurance, improve promotion policy, terminate rationalisation policy, regularise educators and end policy of merging of schools.

Later, DCO Asif Quraishi held talks with the protesters and assured the teachers that their demands would be forwarded to high-ups.

BAHAWALPUR: Teachers staged a sit-in and held a demonstration outside the Government Technical High School at Farid Gate to press for the acceptance of their demands.

They demanded the Punjab government sanction their promotions and leaves and regularise teachers.

Later, the demonstrators dispersed peacefully.