HYDERABAD, Oct 20 Criticising promotion of junior teachers to higher grades, the Sindh Professors and Subject Specialists Association, Hyderabad chapter, demanded doing away with the policy of favouritism and nepotism in education sector.

Association President Mohammad Asghar Palari, Secretary General Mohammad Hanif Baloch and others on Monday said that during the tenure of first government of Benazir Bhutto, a notification to provide protection to senior subject specialists and for setting up higher secondary schools in remote areas was issued.

However, the bureaucracy instead of protecting senior teachers was promoting juniors on account of their political clout, favouritism and nepotism, they said.

Quoting an example of a teacher superseding 400 others to reach Grade 19 from Grade 17, they called it sheer injustice.

Demanding overdue promotions of senior teachers, they called for notifying a correct seniority list at the earliest along with rescinding the illegally promoted to Grade 18 and 19. They called for promoting those who had worked in a particular grade for at least 10 years.

They warned of a protest movement against Education Department if senior teachers were not promoted.

STUDENTS MOOT The All Pakistan Students Conference scheduled to be held in October in Lahore has been postponed to March, said Jamiat Tuleba-i-Islam (JTI). The conference was to be held on 14th of this month.

The JTI Sindh President Hafiz Abdul Razzaq Magsi, General Secretary Hafiz Ziauddin Eindhar and others arranged a press conference on Monday at the press club. Around 20,000 students, regardless of their ideologies and political affiliations, will attend the conference at Minar-e-Pakistan, they claimed.

They showed concern at the crumbling educational system, especially in Sindh where Kalashnikov culture was more in practise. Falling standards can be gauged from the fact that only two Pakistani varsities are recognised abroad, they said. Below standard professional degrees force professionals to do their PhDs from foreign universities, they said.

They were of the opinion that the country won't be able to produce good scientists without the introduction of Islamic system of education. There is a mushroom growth of schools but not majority are up to the mark, they said.

They questioned as to how education can promote without school buildings and teachers, while those available mostly are converted into Otaqs of feudal lords.

Condemning military operation in northern parts, they called for involving Moulana Fazlur Rehman in mediating to bring the conflict to an end.

They sought issuance of a notification for restoration of student unions and for conducting elections in this regard.

Admission The University of Sindh has extended last date to October 25 for submission of admission forms to Bachelors degree programmes in all disciplines. The university also announced of holding convocation in December. Interested candidates are advised to submit their applications up to Nov 20.