ISLAMABAD: Owing to the bureaucratic snags and an inordinate delay in amending rules, hundreds of senior schoolteachers could not be promoted for more than six years.

In February 2010, deputy headmasters (BPS-16) working under the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) were re-designated as the Secondary School Teachers (SSTs) and promoted to grade 17 on the recommendation of the defunct federal ministry of education.

Subsequently, on October 14, 2011, the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) notified the upgradation and re-designation after the approval by then prime minister. However, so far, CADD has failed to finalise rules to give promotion to these teachers in the light of the notifications.

After about six years, the FDE on November 17, 2016, submitted a draft of amendments to the promotion and re-desigantion rules to CADD for approval. However, it has not been approved yet, adding to the anxiety of the teachers.

The SSTs called upon CADD to amend the rules in accordance with the re-designation and upgradation of posts to avoid any discord and conflict within the teaching community.

Like the promotion of the SSTs and the deputy headmasters, computer lab in-charges working in the FDE-run schools have also been discriminated against.

The 35 computer lab in-charges were appointed in 2006 in grade 7 while those who joined the department many years later against the same posts and qualifications were given grade 12. The FDE is yet to end this discrimination against the lab in-charges still working in grade 7.

“This is a big discrimination. I think the FDE is the only organisation where seniors are working on lower scales and juniors on higher grades. Not giving an equal scale to the lab in-charges is a human rights violation too,” said a lab-incharge.

He requested CADD minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and the Human Rights Commission to look into the matter.

FDE Director General Ayesha Farooq could not be contacted for comments. However, CADD spokesperson Attiqur Rehman said they were working on both the cases to give equal opportunities of promotion to all the employees.

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2017