Teachers demand swift action on delayed promotions

Islamabad:A large number of Secondary School Teachers (SSTs) under the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) are calling for an immediate meeting of the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) to address their long-awaited promotions from BPS-17 to BPS-18.

According to sources, previous DPC meetings held on August 26 and October 3 remained inconclusive due to questions about teachers’ eligibility and discrepancies in their Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs). Many SSTs serving in BS-17 have since retired, waiting for their long-overdue promotion to the next scale, yet no new DPC meeting date has been announced.

Records indicate that a DPC meeting was initially rescheduled for October 19 but was canceled, further delaying the promotion process. FDE has since instructed around 250 SSTs to resubmit their ACRs for endorsement, requiring them to be countersigned by FDE Directors if previously signed by former Area Education Officers who completed their contracts.

In a recent development, FDE directed educational institution heads to have ACRs countersigned by current FDE Directors. Meanwhile, in response to a Ministry of Federal Education query, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) clarified that a Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree following 16 years of education is equivalent to a Master’s in Education (MEd), meeting the promotion requirements.

This clarification is significant because, under new rules issued in March 2019, an MEd degree alongside 16 years of education is required for promotion to BS-18 and above. The rule change, issued through an SRO, has hindered promotions for many experienced SSTs and Vice Principals, while some juniors were promoted based on their MEd qualifications alone.

An official source noted, “HEC’s clarification, according to the ‘Teachers Education Roadmap,’ affirms that an 18-month BEd after 16 years of education is equivalent to an MEd, with no ambiguity.” However, the Ministry, unsatisfied with HEC’s clarification, issued an office memorandum to the Establishment Division, requesting further guidance.

In response, the Establishment Division advised the Ministry to proceed in line with HEC’s degree equivalency decision, as HEC is the authority on qualifications and equivalencies. The SSTs emphasized that once the SRO has been gazetted by the Ministry of Federal Education and aligned with the Civil Servants (Appointment, Promotion, and Transfer) Rules of 1973, previous rules for recruitment and promotion no longer apply.