PESHAWAR, Dec 30: Teachers in all educational institutions of the province will observe strikes and take out protest processions if the government implemented the Model University Ordinance.

This was announced by Arbab Khan Afridi, president of the Peshawar University Teachers Association, at a press conference held at the Peshawar Press Club on Monday.

“We totally reject this ordinance in its present form and the way the government has planned to implement it, even on the experimental basis, will lead to closure of all the educational institutions,” Mr Afridi said.

He said the teachers had been observing a day-long strike every week for the last three months against this ordinance, but the government remained unwilling to accommodate their recommendations. It would result in loss of resources and wastage of time of students, if the government did not refrain from implementing the ordinance, he added.

Mr Afridi claimed that the proposed ordinance, which had been rejected by 23 vice-chancellors of 26 public universities in the country, would deprive the stakeholders, especially the poor, of their right to higher education, as it would sharply increase the cost of education. “We cannot accept this ordinance in its present form,” he said.

“We are not against change, but the change must be for the good of all,” said PUTA general secretary Nasir Jamal.

He said the task force, which had discussed the 14th draft of the ordinance at its meeting held in the Governor’s House on Dec 14, had ignored the recommendations of the teachers community. “We have already the Act of 1974. The government must strive to remove the drawbacks contained in it and avoid making things more complex,” Mr Jamal said.

He suggested that the government should form a high-powered committee, comprising teachers, students and parents, for the purpose.

Every new law should be promulgated through the provincial assembly. “Like all the 13 drafts of the ordinance, the 14th draft is also highly-flawed as it has completely disregarded the interests of the stakeholders,” he said.

Other leaders, who spoke on the occasion, included Siddique Akbar, president of the Federation of All Pakistan University Academic Staff Association, the NWFP chapter; Dr Shad Khan and Dr Azizur Rahim, president and vice-president of the NWFP Agriculture University Teachers Association, respectively; and Izharul Haq of the Gomal University Teachers Association.