LARKANA: The ‘long march’ of primary teachers which began from Garhi Khuda Bakhsh Bhutto on Sunday reached Larkana city on Monday.

It is being staged to press the Sindh government for regularisation of teachers who had cleared the entry test conducted in 2014 by the University of Sindh. Primary Teachers Association (PTA) Sindh central president Shafi Mohammed Sathiyo and others were leading the march.

Raising slogans in favour of their demands when the rally’s participants entered the city, local office-bearers and others showered them with rose petals while according them a warm welcome.

They assembled outside Begum Nusrat Bhutto Memorial Library in Jinnahbagh and made speeches criticising Sindh government’s “apathy” towards accepting their [teachers’] genuine demands.

They alleged that neither the government was serious towards resolving the issue nor bureaucrats were ready to sign the notification to confirm the recruited teachers. This indifferent attitude was increasing unrest in the ranks of teachers, they said.

Despite the Sindh education minister’s nod to accept demands, they were waiting to hear about a notification, they said.

They called for regularisation of teachers as had been done with the recently confirmed teachers in Karachi and demanded releasing 13 months’ salaries of Karachi teachers.

Calling for ensuring son’s quota in jobs, they demanded that powers of endowment funds should be given to the directors concerned instead of commissioners and deputy commissioners.

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2018