224 male teachers promoted in Mansehra

MANSEHRA: While as many as 224 male primary schoolteachers have been promoted to the next cadre, teachers association on Thursday demanded the same promotion for female teachers too.

District Education Officer Khan Mohammad promoted 224 male senior primary teachers from basic pay scale-12 to pay scale-14. “Teachers promoted into next cadre would be posted in areas where situations fall vacant in different schools of the district,” Khan Mohammad told reporters.

The posts of grade-14 have been lying vacant at schools for the last several years across the district. “With these promotions, the shortage of teachers at primary schools has also been addressed and those waiting for the promotions also have got promoted,” he added.

On the other hand, All Teachers Association has threatened to take to the streets if the district education officer (female) didn’t promote female teaches to the next cadre.

The president of the body, Waqar Hussain Shah, said that promotion of female teachers had been due since 2014 but that the EDO (female) was not interested in issuing the orders. “If the promotion orders are not issued before Eidul Fitr holidays, we will launch a protest against EDO (female),” said Shah. When contacted, a senior official at EDO (female) offices Mohammad Bashir said that promotion process for female teachers was underway and would be completed after Eidul Fitr. “We have been facing a dilemma as female teachers, whose promotions are due, have mostly refused it fearing their posting in far-off areas of the district where grade-14 posts are lying vacant,” said Bashir.

TOY GUNS: The district administration Mansehra has imposed a ban on sale and purchase of toy weapons and firecrackers with an immediate effect under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

An order issued by Deputy Commissioner Ziaul Haq said that District Police Officer Zaibullah Khan had raised the issue of seeking a ban on sale and purchase of toy guns and firecrackers in a meeting held earlier in the day.