ISLAMABAD, March 4: Federal government college teachers’ association (FGCTA) has expressed deep concern over casual attitude of the concerned authorities towards time-scale promotion of college teachers.

The upgradation of college teachers was announced through a prime minister’s package during the last regime but implementation of the same was being delayed under one pretext or the other. Teachers are now deliberating protest and strike options.

It was on the agenda during a meeting of association held in H-9 College on Friday in which association demanded swift implementation of the package.

Senior Vice President FGCTA Professor Khalida Makhdoom said: “We had been struggling and raising voice for upgradation of lecturers to basic pay scale BPS-18 ever since we were assured by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on World Teachers’ Day (October 5, 2006). Our dedicated struggle bore fruit when Prime Minister Gilani reiterated his pledge on November 8, 2010 in an extraordinary gathering of teachers specially called in Islamabad. Teachers of universities were upgraded within a few months.

We were also given assurance that the upgradation was for college teachers too because logically college and university teachers are recruited through the same procedure, hold similar qualification and do exactly the same job”.

Secretary General FGCTA Tahir Mahmood said: “A Lecturer (BPS-17) should be given BPS-18, Assistant Professor should be in BPS-19, Associate Professor should be in BPS-20 and Professor in BPS-21 as it was announced on October 5, 2006 by the then prime minister.

After six-year long struggle and one-month long boycott of classes, college teachers were appeased by an “ambiguous notification” of granting a time-scale formula. The notification was issued on October 14 after 25 days of protest of college professors and they called off the strike forthwith.

“We unwillingly accepted this time scale promotion formula, at last, thinking that ‘Something is better than nothing’ but they are not even serious in implementing this formula,” he told.

Prof Zahid Ali Shah, President Joint Action Forum (JAF) said teachers love peace, educate peace. They make the destiny of nations and produce doctors, engineers, economic professional but we have been denied the rightful.

“We pledge to continue our struggle until our demands are met”, he added.

Professor Yasmeen Bokhari vice President FGCTA said that upgradation of the college teachers to basic pay scale 18 is being put off under one pretext or the other. The association has been repeatedly informing the administration about the gravity of the problem but it has always turned a deaf ear to the demands.

“The frustration and anxiety is mounting among the college teaching community again because Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) and Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD), the two bodies concerned with the issue, are passing on the buck to the other. The new setup after devolution of the Ministry of Education has left the matters in the hands of even worse non-technocrat officials,” she repented.

Another office bearer of association said: “The officer empowered to implement the time-scale formula in the CADD is the Joint Secretary (JS) who is absolutely incompetent and the issue is beyond his prowess. He is not a bureaucrat so he cannot handle the official matters properly.”

The Secretary General reiterated that teaching community should not be provoked to resort to extreme action such as strike and boycott again because examinations are at hand and students’ career should not be put at risk.

Secretary CADD Imtiaz Inayat Elahi while talking to Dawn said he instructed the relevant department to issue revised notification for the time-scale promotions but in the meanwhile he had to leave for Lahore so he had no idea why the notification could not be issued.

“I will resume duty on Tuesday and will ensure that notification according to the announcement of the PM is issued”, he assured.