Unbelievable act

The Education Service Act 2017 KP is a gradual step towards the privatisation of the education department. This is an endeavour to separate the education department from the mainstream civil service of the province. The law will change the service structure of school and college teachers. Through this act, teachers will be converted from being civil servants to public servants. As a result, the teachers would have no security of job and they would be at the mercy of government authorities. Article 8 of the proposed act binds a teacher to serve in a specific school throughout their term of service. Article 9 of the proposed law further says that services of a junior most civil servant may be terminated, if the government deems fit. Article 10 of the proposed Act endorses forced retirement against the will and wish of a teacher.

Most of the articles of the proposed act are detrimental to the service and interest of the teachers and to the very cause of education. They say, “If you want to destroy a nation, do not use weapon, just destroy the education system of the nation” and the present KP government is doing the exact thing. Why is there a necessity for the enactment of this act  when the 1973 civil service act already exists?

Muhammad Usman Ali (Kohat)