Protesting teachers of Early Learning Programme arrested

Around 24 protesting teachers were reportedly arrested by the Sindh police on Monday as they tried to advance from the Karachi Press Club towards the Red Zone to convey their complaints to officers of the Sindh government.

The provincial government had hired these teachers in 2009 on a contractual basis for the Early Learning Programme (ELP) in the province under the National Education Policy 2009. Initially, around 300 teachers were appointed in five districts of Sindh – Tando Muhammad Khan, Naushahro Feroze, Khairpur, Ghotki, and Badin – under the project to serve at 30 Early Childhood Learning Centers established in the districts.

Last month, they were informed by the school education department that the ELP was to be closed and their services were no longer required.

On July 9, the teachers staged a sit-in at the Karachi Press Club and announced hunger strike until the government met their demand for a permanent job status.

According to the protesting teachers’ body, the ECET-Ittihad Sindh, no single representative of the Sindh government had bothered to visit their sit-in camp and listen to their grievances during the past two weeks after which they decided to move towards the Red Zone and record their protest.