Teachers threaten to move court over time-scale notification

Islamabad: Many teachers of Islamabad's government colleges are thoroughly dejected for what they call being ignored during the time-scale promotion of around 600 fellow educators. According to them, the April 20 education ministry notification, which took effect on March 5, deprived them of the right to next grade 'according to a specific time period'. The teachers told 'The News' that the factor 'time', the core of the time-scale formula, was badly disregarded in the notification, so the ministry should address the issue without delay to prevent litigation.

"The teachers, who should have been granted time-scale [promotion] in line with their eligibility date, have been denied the right. They have been given the next grade from March 5, 2020, in violation of the 'letter and spirit' of the time-scale formula that the ministry agreed about after agitation by our community in 2011," an educator said.

Another college teacher said the ministry's unfair move had demotivated many from various cadres, who had been awaiting higher time-scale for over six years. According to him, under the time-scale formula, the BPS-17 teachers are required to serve five years in that grade for promotion to BPS-18 and those of BPS-18 either seven years in that grade or a total of 12-year service in both BPS-17 and BPS-18 for next grade.

Similarly, 7-year service in BPS-19 is required to claim BPS-20 and a total of 19-year service in BPS-17 for BPS-19. Also, 5-year service in BPS-20 will get a teacher BPS-21, while a total of 24-year service in BPS-17 will be required for BPS-20 collectively.

The teachers, however, claimed that the rule was not followed by the ministry to their misery. They said 45 male and 63 female assistant professors of FG colleges and 79 male and 112 female assistant professors of Islamabad's model colleges got time-scale of BPS-19, 38 male and 47 female associate professors of FG colleges and 42 male and 33 female associate professors of model colleges BPS-20, and two male and four female professors of FG colleges and three male professors of model colleges BPS-21.

Also, 26 male and 64 women vice-principals of FG schools were elevated to BPS-19, while 16 male and 20 women principals of FG schools and one deputy headmistress of the Islamabad Model Colleges got time-scale promotion to BPS-20. The teachers complained that many teachers, who retired lately after attaining the age of superannuation, were ignored to their frustration. Dr Khalid Hanif, who had retired few months ago as an associate professor after over 30 years of service, rejected the notification for 'completely' ignoring his services to the department.

"This anomaly clearly suggests being born early or reaching superannuation a little earlier was a crime. Nevertheless, the teachers with 25 years of service and less than 18 years are getting the same benefit through this notification. It's completely unfair," he said.

A frustrated woman professor said the notification had nothing to do with time-scale formula. "It [notification] has neither any weightage of time nor any consideration of a scale. It is a mess and will cause litigation," she said.

Professor Muhammad Zubair said it was ridiculous that a teacher, who became eligible in 2014 to benefit from time scale to move to the next grade, is being granted the next grade along with a teacher, who has become eligible for the same in 2020.

Prof Tahir Mahmood of the Federal Government College Teachers Association said the 2014 notifications of the same formula clearly safeguarded the length of service according to the real spirit of the time scale.

He, however, said with the issuance of the new notification, the entire meaning of the time scale was misunderstood. "What is this time scale that is negating the 'time' itself?"

Prof Tahir demanded the re-issuance of the notification and its backdated implementation to protect the teachers' legitimate right to financial benefit and justice and warned if that didn't happen, the teachers denied promotion would move the court for relief.

"Before the positive energy of teachers is consumed by unnecessary litigation, it is imperative for the ministry to rectify the issue without delay," he said. Joint secretary at the education ministry and acting director general of the Federal Directorate of Education didn't respond to this correspondent's calls and texts on his cell number.