ISLAMABAD, Oct 5: Punjab and Sindh have allocated Rs80 million and Rs4.8 million, respectively, for giving cash awards to best teachers, and the federal government is considering introducing a similar scheme in Islamabad Capital Territory.

This was stated by Sarfraz Ahmad Syed, joint secretary education, at a teachers’ convention, organized by the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE), in collaboration with Unesco and Unicef, in connection with World Teachers’ Day on Saturday.

Responding to some of the issues highlighted by the teachers’ representatives, he said his ministry would look into these problems.

The medium of instruction does not matter. “What matters the most is the attainment of knowledge,” he observed. Talking about apprehensions that the education quality might be affected with the advent of local government in the federal capital, the secretary said it was voters’ duty to elect such a person who was dedicated to the cause of education.

He said, from now on, the hiring of teachers would be done on contractual basis and not under daily-wage system. Regular sanctions will be made for the appointment of teachers in evening shifts, he added.

To arrest the problem of mediocrity, the joint secretary said, Graduate Record Examination system was being introduced and the teachers who cleared the test, would be given enhanced remunerations.

Ingeborg Breines, the Unesco director, expressed the hope that the teachers’ association would observe the day annually and use it to highlight their problems.

Presentations were also made on the occasion by the teachers of non-formal and private schools, and representatives of teachers’ associations, parent-teacher associations and general public.

The speakers pointed out behaviours and attitudes towards the profession from the public. Teachers are national asset and unless their status is elevated, the quality of education will not improve, depriving Pakistan its place in the comity of developed and honourable nations, they said.

They added that teachers were the most crucial factor in implementing educational reforms at the grass-roots level. They asserted that the government should provide incentives and facilities to teachers, besides financial security, so they could fully concentrate on their job. They also stressed the need for on-job training.

“Disturb teachers always produce a disturb and confused nation,” the participants said. They also pointed out the lack of trust between the policy makers and the teachers, and maintained that the curriculum was prepared without taking the teachers into confidence.

Tahir Parwaz, representative of parent-teacher association, said the mushroom growth of educational institutions had turned this noble profession into a business-like industry because the public sector failed to build the basic infrastructure to facilitate teachers and students.

“We expect best performance from a teacher, but we never care about his needs and problems. We talk about his role and not the rights,” he observed.

Mr Parwaz said: “We in Pakistan hardly discuss the social status of a teacher and are least concerned about his salary structure or living conditions.” They were transferred on personal liking of the administrators, which, some times, resulted in ruining the institutions.

The FDE director-general, Brig Maqsoodul Hasan (retired), said it was the duty of every body to facilitate the teachers in their work because they not only imparted skills, but also values, attitudes and the capability to understand.

The teacher’s day is being observed in Pakistan for the first time. About 700,000 people are engaged with the profession in the country.