Temporary Teachers In Bajaur Face Dismissal Amid Protests And Pleas For Extension

(MENAFN- Tribal News Network) In 2022, the provincial government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) approved a project named "Provision of Teachers for Primary, Middle, and High Schools" (PTC Hire Funds) to address the shortage of teachers in public educational institutions in the tribal districts. The Education Department opted for the temporary hiring of teachers due to complexities in the permanent recruitment process, aiming to fill gaps in remote areas.

This initiative, which offered fixed salaries of PKR 20,000 for primary school teachers, PKR 25,000 for middle school teachers, and PKR 30,000 for high school teachers, proved to be a successful experiment.

However, in Bajaur and other tribal districts, these temporary teachers have been facing uncertainty. Imtiaz Khan, President of the All PTC and Higher Teachers Bajaur, revealed that 319 male and female teachers have been serving in Bajaur for several years.

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Despite being highly qualified, these teachers, driven by poverty, have been working in remote areas. For the past 10 months, they have not been paid their salaries. Several protests have been organized, but instead of resolving their grievances or paying their salaries, the government has now announced their dismissal from these temporary positions, which has sparked frustration among the educators.

When contacted, District Education Officer (DEO) Bajaur, Arbab Shireen Zada, acknowledged the teachers' contribution, saying they had been instrumental in filling the gap left by the lack of permanent teachers. However, the extension for their services was not included in the PC-1 document.

"Other districts let these teachers go in June 2024, but in Bajaur, due to the strong demand from teachers and students, we reached out to various authorities requesting an extension because there is still a significant shortage of permanent teachers in Bajaur. Unfortunately, no extension was granted, and following strict directives from the Directorate, we issued termination orders to all schools," he added.

Imtiaz Khan, President of the All PTC and Higher Teachers, Bajaur, has urged the government to extend their service period, emphasizing that this would help address unemployment and the shortage of permanent teachers.

"Many schools are solely running because of these PTC teachers, and without them, these schools will have to close down. We also demand that our unpaid salaries for the past 10 months be released so we can pay off our debts and provide for our families," he stated.

Waheeb Jan, General Secretary of the All Teachers Association Bajaur, criticized the decision to terminate PTC teachers, calling it "foolish." He called on the provincial government to reconsider, especially in tribal districts where there is already a severe shortage of educational institutions and permanent teachers. "There are many schools in our area that will close if these PTC teachers are dismissed, as they are the backbone of these institutions. We, the teaching community, urge the provincial government to revisit this decision," he said.

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