ISLAMABAD, May 7: The Prime Minister Secretariat is yet to respond to a summary moved by the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) six months back for regularization teachers and evening classes an official source at the directorate told Dawn.

The official said due to an increasing number of students, the directorate had started evening shift at a number of schools and colleges from class one to bachelor's level within the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

There was no other option but to arrange evening classes, as the number of students in the morning shift had already reached the saturation point, he added. Unlike the morning shift, the evening classes teachers are hired on contract basis and given a lump sum salary but they remain contractual employees, he added.

The teachers for senior classes - 6th to B.Sc classes - are paid a salary of Rs6,000 per month and those for the junior classes are paid Rs5,000, the official said. As a result, most of the teachers whenever get some good opportunity discontinue their services that seriously affects the studies of the students.

"At times, these teachers leave half-way through the completion of the academic year that impacts upon the studies of the students. The parents have also complained to the directorate in his regard," he said.

In the light of these complaints, the directorate had requested the education ministry to regularise the evening classes teachers. In this regard, a summary was prepared and sent to the Prime Minister Secretariat for approval about six months ago, the source said.

The official said the federal directorate had received a clarification from the PM Secretariat on the summary which had duly been clarified and sent back, but to this date there was no response, he said.