PESHAWAR: Already hit hard by militancy, around one million students of government schools in Fata continue to suffer as teachers have boycotted classes and locked schools.

The teachers have been on strike since April 20 and have locked schools in seven agencies and six Frontier Regions (FRs) in Fata.

Talks between federal minister for state and frontier region retired Lt-Gen Abdul Qadir Baloch and office-bearers of the All Fata Teachers Association remained inconclusive in Islamabad on Tuesday.

Protesting teachers say will resume duty only after their posts are upgraded

The association’s president, Khan Malik Mehsud, told Dawn that he turned down the minister’s request to call off strike.

“I told the minister that teachers will end boycott when the government issued notification about up-gradation of their posts,” he said.

Teachers from Fata have set up protest camps in front of National Press Club Islamabad and headquarters of tribal agencies pressing for their demands. Around 25,000 teachers across Fata are demanding up-gradation of their posts.

Protest also marred the ongoing enrollment of children in schools. The government had launched drive to enroll 150,000 out of school children in Fata by the end of May 30. Under the plan total 400,000 children will be enrolled in next three years.

Correspondents said that students had stopped coming to schools since teachers started boycott in seven tribal agencies and six FRs. They said that majority of the schools had been locked while in some areas teachers were coming to schools, but did not attend classes.

The association has been demanding federal government to follow up-gradation formula of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government which upgraded posts of teachers in 2012. The provincial government had upgraded various cadres of teachers.

The post of primary school teachers was upgraded from grade-9 to grade-12, class teacher (CT) from grade-14 to grade-15, theology teachers, drawing master etc were upgraded from grade-14 to grade-15.

An official said that directorate of education Fata followed policies and mechanism of the provincial government including appointment, promotion of teachers and curriculum.

He said that provincial government had upgraded these posts in 2012, while Safron Division had yet to upgrade these posts in Fata.

He said that teachers and other employees from grade 4 to grade 15 were recruited at the agency level and the Safron division sanctioned budget for their salaries.

He said that Civil Secretariat Fata had already asked the Safron and Finance divisions to follow KP government policy and upgrade posts of teachers from grade 7 to grade 9 in Fata, but in vain.

Khan Malik Mehsud said that teachers had launched protest movement last year for their demands and called off their strike after getting firm assurance from federal minister Abdul Qadir Baloch.

He said that despite commitment by the minister the government did not issue notification.

He said that teachers would end their strike the moment the Safron division issued notification regarding up-gradation of posts.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2016