LAKKI MARWAT: Thousands of government school teachers on Thursday staged protest demonstrations in different cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and threatened to boycott classes and besiege PTI chief Imran Khan’s Banigala residence if the provincial government failed to notify time-scale formula and one-step upgradation for them before February 10.

In Lakki Marwat, the district chapter of All Teachers’ Grand Alliance held a demonstration outside the local press club, which was led by Mohammad Umar of School Officers Association.

Office-bearers of different teachers’ associations, including Subject Specialists Association, Secondary School Teachers Association, Headmasters Union, Physical Teachers Association and Malgari Ustazaan, participated in the procession.

Speaking on this occasion, the teachers’ leaders asked the government to implement the resolutions already passed by the provincial assembly in favour of teachers’ demands without any delay.

Demand notification of time-scale formula, one-step upgradation before Feb 10

They demanded one-step upgradation for principals, headmasters, subject specialists and secondary school teachers, saying that the government should formulate service structure for teachers of all cadres and approve time-scale promotion formula for them.

They also demanded of the government to formulate four-tier promotion formula for teachers on the pattern of college teachers.

In Timergara, the government school teachers threatened to boycott classes from Feb 1 to 3 and later set up a protest camp at Banigala in front of the PTI chief residence if the government failed to accept their demands.

Hundreds of teachers on the call of All Teachers Grand Alliance walked on the local roads and also blocked Timergara-Dir road briefly. Teachers affiliated with different organisations, including Insaf Teachers’ Association and All Primary Teachers Association, also took part in the protest.

Addressing the rally, ATGA Lower Dir president Mohammad Shah and school principals said the government was unnecessarily delaying the approval of time-scale formula and one-step upgradation for teachers, which was promised with them three years ago.

“If the government failed to respond to their demands the teachers will set up a protest camp in Banigala on Feb 10,” Mr Shah announced.

In Buner, teachers and subject specialists jointly staged a demonstration to highlight their demands for promotion and also warned of staging a protest in Banigala. Malgari Ustazan and Tanzeem Asatiza leaders, including Bakht Sher Hussain, Inamullah and Raz Mohammad, spoke on the occasion.

In Mingora, teachers belonging to 13 organisations under the banner of All Swat Teachers Grand Alliance started their protest march from different areas and gathered in Government High School Mulla Baba, Mingora, where they chanted slogans in favour of their demands.

Hafiz Mohammad Ali, president of Wahdat-i-Asatiza Tanzeem, said that the provincial government had ignored the teaching cadres in one-step promotion.

The teachers said that if their demands were not accepted by the government they would boycott classes from Feb 1.

Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2018