SANGHAR, Sept 25: The token hunger strike of primary school teachers being observed outside the local press club against the authorities of the education department entered the second day on Wednesday.

On the call of the All Sindh Primary Teachers’ Association, the protesters gathered and pledged to continue the strike till Sept 30.

Talking to reporters, the protesting teachers said subject specialists, ex-cadre and non-gazetted officers and officers on own pay and scale (OPS) were holding the higher administrative posts in the district education department of Sanghar despite the clear directives of the Supreme Court against such adjustments.

They said Yar Muhammad Baladi, belonging to the cadre of subject specialists, was holding the position of district officer education on political grounds.

They said he had adopted vindictive policies against teachers by transferring them to far-flung areas.

Sanghar chapter PTA president Nazir Nazamani told Dawn that their five colleagues serving in Jam Nawaz Ali taluka had been transferred to Khahi, Khipro taluka, on unjustifiable grounds. Five primary teachers from Khipro taluka had been transferred to Sanghar taluka without any valid reason, he added.

He said that out of the 12 assistant education officers, including men and women, only two were gazetted while the remaining were non-gazetted, but they had been occupying the positions since long.

He said the District Accounts Office had deducted the conveyance allowance of the teachers during vacations without a notification from any competent authority.

They threatened to call primary teachers from the entire district and stage a sit-in outside the office of the District Education Officer if their demands were not met.