Education ministry forms committee to address temp teachers’ concerns

Islamabad: In a significant move, the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training has taken steps to address the grievances of daily wager teachers. Minister for Federal Education & Professional Training, Madad Ali Sindhi, engaged with a delegation of these teachers in the presence of key officials, including the Director General of the Federal Directorate of Education, Director (Colleges) of FDE, and the Deputy Secretary of M/o FE & PT.

Madad Ali Sindhi exhibited empathy as he attentively listened to the concerns of the daily wage teachers. He expressed his understanding and pledged his full dedication to finding relief for these educators. He announced the formation of a specialised committee aimed at addressing the challenges faced by daily wage teachers.

The delegation of daily wage teachers conveyed their desire for the regularization of their services. Representatives from M/o FE&PT and FDE provided Minister Madad Ali Sindhi with a detailed briefing. They explained that these teachers were initially engaged by Area Education Officers and principals of Islamabad Model schools / colleges under the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) based on immediate needs, without adhering to formal procedures such as advertisements, tests, interviews, regional quotas, sanctioned posts, and qualifications.

The issue gained legal attention, resulting in a decision by the Honourable Islamabad High Court in ICA no. 340/2017 (Para-123(v)), subsequently upheld by the Honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan. As per this decision, 551 daily wage teachers with designations comparable to employees in BS-16 & above were referred to the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) in 2020 to assess their fitness and eligibility for regularisation through a one-time dispensation.

In line with the directives of the Honourable Islamabad High Court and the Supreme Court, FPSC conducted a test on July 31, 2021. The Honourable IHC instructed these daily wage teachers during the hearing of the case in writ petition no. 2937/2019, as well as the heads of institutions, to appear for the test. Regrettably, some of these teachers chose to disregard the court's directions and intentionally abstained from the test without justifiable reasons.

In response, these daily wage teachers filed writ petition no. 2937/2019, seeking the court's intervention once again. However, the petition was dismissed, and the department was directed to conclude the services of those who failed to meet the test's qualification criteria. A subsequent writ petition no. 1163/2021 was submitted by the absentees, requesting another chance to take the FPSC test. Unfortunately, the Honourable Court did not grant them any leniency.

Following these legal proceedings, the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training consulted the Law & Justice Division for guidance. Adhering to court directives, the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) made the decision to conclude the services of daily wage teachers who did not meet the FPSC test's requirements or did not appear for the test. This momentous step by the ministry signifies a concerted effort to address the concerns of daily wage teachers and ensure a fair and just process moving forward.