PESHAWAR, April 12: The Contract Lecturers and Subject Specialists Association, NWFP, has urged the provincial government to regularise their services.

Speaking at a press conference at the press club here, association president Hafiz Naveed Akhtar said there was a shortage of 600 faculty members in higher educational institutes, but a large number of lecturers and subject specialists had been hired on contract basis on a fixed salary.The government had introduced the contract policy to overcome the shortage of teachers in the education sector. However, since it is not a permanent service, many of those hired on contract leave the profession.

The contract is renewed after six months and often the renewal takes four to five months, which delays payment of salaries to the lecturers. Another problem, Mr Akhtar said, was the difference among salaries of lecturers hired under contract policies in 2005 (Rs9,132 fixed), 2006 (Rs10,353 fixed) and 2007 when the salary was equal to BPS-17.

“This discrimination among teachers on the basis of hiring policy and year-wise salary difference should be abolished,” Mr Akhtar said.

He said the Public Service Commission hired faculty on permanent basis in the province but the entire process of requisition, advertisement and selection took more than three years. The process was so lengthy that it had adverse effects on the education sector.

Mr Akhtar said that in most cases the lecturers hired on contract could not apply for another job because they became overage.