CURRENTLY, promotions of college teachers are made on a regular basis according to a seniority list that is pre-pared based on the year a teacher is inducted into the College Education Department. However, many dedicated and hardworking teachers pursue MPhil and PhD degrees during their service to enhance their academic qualifications and professional competence.

Unfortunately, even after completing a PhD or MPhil degree, their position in the seniority list remains unchanged. The current seniority system does not provide any additional weightage or advantage for higher qualifications. As a result, highly qualified teachers often have to wait many years for promotion, just like those who do not pursue further academic qualifications.

Resolving this matter will encourage teachers to upgrade their academic qualifications, promoting a culture of research, merit and academic excellence within the education system. Although 20 per cent of the promotion seats are reserved for highly qualified teachers, it is un-

fortunate that these reserved seats for grades 19 and 20 have not been announced for the last several years. This whole situation is seriously unfair, and there is an urgent need to revisit the matter afresh.

Dr Zafar Farooqui
Karachi

Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2026