KARACHI, Aug 28: Sindh Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim on Monday said that political parties having no interest in the future of students were the only opponents of ban on teachers’ unions and associations, saying these parties were opposing the ban to score political mileage.

“Parties and politicians opposing the ban on teachers’ unions only care for their political interests, as they need Munshis (workers) to promote their ideologies. They do not care for students’ future and oppose government’s decision due to their vested interests,” he told newsmen at the airport before leaving for Islamabad.

The chief minister said: “Jihad against politicians-turned teachers will continue and such teachers would not be allowed to destroy educational system in the country.”

He said that some provincial governments destroyed educational system in the province by recruiting teachers on political grounds in past. These political workers recruited as teachers were not willing to teach and perform duties for which they were being paid, he added.

He said that the government had allocated additional sum of money for giving allowances to teachers based on their performance and qualifications. “To judge the performance and qualification of teachers, tests would be conducted through any reputed teaching institute so that allowances could be given on merit,” he added.

He said teachers’ organisations wanted that there should be no differentiation between qualified and non-qualified teachers so that government could not succeed in reforming education sector. But, the government would not compromise on educational standard despite all kinds of hurdles created by them, he said.

Arbab Rahim paid tributes to teachers, who did not indulge themselves in politics in the interest of students and refused to become ‘political workers, Munshis and Kamdars of landlords’.—PPI