LARKANA: The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE), Larkana, has rescheduled annual examination for Secondary School Certificate (SSC) from March 25 to April 1, said sources in the BISE on Friday.

The decision was taken in the light of Sindh education minister’s announcement he had made in a meeting with leaders of BISE’s employees in Karachi on Friday, said the sources.

Examinations for SSC Part-I and II were scheduled for March 25. The Government Secondary Teachers Association (GSTA) has claimed the exams have been rescheduled because of teachers’ protest and warning of boycott of examinations.

GSTA continues protest

Meanwhile, a large number of teachers under the banner of GSTA took to the streets on Friday in protest against provincial government’s failure to listen to their woes and accept their demands.

GSTA central president Haji Ashraf Khaskheli, Abdul Rasheed Chandio, G.M. Abro and others, who led a rally and sit-in at Larkana Press Club, criticised Sindh education minister for his “lukewarm” attitude towards teachers’ issues and his complete lack of interest in resolving teachers’ problems.

Teachers from different parts of Larkana division arrived in caravans to join the protest rally and sit-in. They were carrying banners and placards and chanting slogans as they marched on different thoroughfares.

The GSTA leaders claimed that because of sincere efforts of teachers the government schools were now excelling in education and in certain instances had left behind private institutions. “We had pinned hopes in PPP government and its chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari for their positive role in resolving teachers’ problems. Unfortunately, not only the chief minister but the entire education department had lagged behind in solving our issues,” they said.

They referred to an agreement reached between the then secretary of education Dr Fazlullah Pechuho and the GSTA in which it was decided to do away with management cadre that had recently been introduced in the department.

They called for implementing the apex court decision of awarding group insurance to retired teachers and employees of other departments and giving them time-scale.

They criticised the education minister for ignoring teachers’ voice and announced staging a sit-in outside the Chief Minister’s House on March 28, which would continue till the acceptance of demands.

The government had no other option but to accept GSTA’s demands, they said.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2019