The Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) has failed to resolve chronic problems facing teachers who joined FDE-run schools under the wedlock policy.

Over 200 teachers have joined the FDE schools under the wedlock policy, which encourages postings of spouses in the same area, in the last 15 years, but their services have not been absorbed despite a directive from former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.

There are also a number of teachers deputed in schools who are unwilling to return to their parent departments, despite having completed their five year term.

“The issue of teachers working under wedlock is one of the oldest issues of the FDE. In order to resolve this issue for good, we have moved a summary to the Establishment Division for their point of view on whether we could absorb the services of these teachers,” FDE Director General Hasnat Qureshi said.

The FDE will make the matter a priority once it has input from the Establishment Division, he added, saying that if the division approves, the FDE will make a criteria to absorb the services of the relevant teachers.

FDE officials said bold decisions need to be made in the cases of teachers working under the wedlock policy and on deputation.

“Whatever decision [the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD)] and FDE want, they should make it at the earliest. The long delay in this issue has been creating unrest among the teachers,” an FDE official said.

Mr Qureshi, however, said that until a decision comes from the Establishment Division, no teachers working under the wedlock policy will be sent back to their parent departments.

Initially, he said, the FDE had agreed to absorb the services of teachers who joined under the policy, but CADD Secretary Nargis Ghaloo was of the opinion that the Supreme Court, in one of its decisions, had barred the absorption of deputationists in other departments.

“Because of the SC’s orders, we referred the case to the Establishment Division to get their point of view on whether that decision [can be implemented on] teachers working under the wedlock policy,” he said.

Nust convocation held

The National University of Science and Technology’s (Nust) School of Social Sciences and Humanities held its fourth postgraduate and undergraduate convocation on Wednesday.

A total of 181 graduates received degrees in Economics, Mass Communication, Clinical Psychology and Public Administration.

The President’s Gold Medal for Best Performance in Academics for the Degrees of Master of Science and Bachelor of Science was awarded to four graduate students and three undergraduate students.

Faculty awards were also distributed during the ceremony, with Dr Athar Maqsood Ahmad and Dr Mohammad Zahid Siddique receiving awards for Best Teacher and Best Researcher, respectively.

President and CEO of Askari Bank Syed Majeedullah Husaini was invited as the chief guest. In his address, he congratulated the graduates, their families and the faculty.

He said that as inheritors of a society with great values for life and a deep concern for human development, the graduates should aspire to deepen and broaden their knowledge; experience the power of teamwork and integrity, and always be guided by higher social values.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2017