ISLAMABAD: The Federal Directorate of Education (FDE)on Tuesday directed colleges principals to lay off daily wage teachers appointed in August.

FDE informed all principals of Islamabad model colleges that the competent authority has refused to give assent to the appointment of fresh daily wage staff being hired since the re-opening of the institutions after summer vacations.

“This is a serious setback because we (principals) appointed dozens of daily wage teachers in August to overcome their shortage. At that time the FDE didn’t object, but now when the session is at its peak, we are being directed to lay off daily wage teachers,” said a principal, whose college is relying on 12 temporary teachers.

“This notification will badly disturb educational activities as a number of colleges have been relying on daily wage staff. Now students will suffer a lot because in the light of this notification all daily wage staff who were appointed for this session have to leave colleges,” he said. Professor Sagheer Mirani, President FG College Association said: “Unfortunately, almost all colleges in ICT had been facing shortage of teachers. Therefore, the heads of the institutions arranged teaching faculty on temporary basis and these teachers are paid from the college funds, but without any solid justification FDE directed the principals to layoff daily wages,” he said.

Another professor, who wished not be named said that four colleges, IMCG I/8, IMCG I/14, IMCG Humak and IMCB Sihala will suffer a lot.

These colleges were solely depending either on daily wage or borrowed staff from other colleges.

Besides, the colleges are being run without regular budget and sanctioned posts.

According to PC-1, these colleges were supposed to have 53 sanctioned posts each, but so far no serious step was taken to make appointments against the sanctioned posts.

When contacted a spokesman for the FDE, Tahir Bhatti said that the notification was issued on the directive of CADD. “I can’t say any thing about this notification,” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2014