Teachers' package upgrading programme in the doldrums

Teachers of different institutes working under Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) have demanded the government to implement teachers' package, especially of BS-16 and above through Time Scale Promotion Formula (TSPF) before the upcoming budget.
The teacher's package which includes up-gradation, merger of F.G and Model set-up, abolition of evening shifts, enhancement in charge allowance and hard area allowance and provision of transport facility, was announced by the government last year but not fully implemented yet. Teachers have become frustrated after holding several protests for their genuine right of promotions and are now pinning hopes on the newly appointed Director General FDE, Atif Mehmood Kiyani for resolving their issues.
"We are waiting for the promotion letters as the Finance Ministry and Establishment Division have already approved the decision regarding the upgrading. However, the matter is now stuck up due to lack of will on the part of authorities to implement it", said a group of teachers while talking to APP.
The package was termed the first-ever historical initiative for introducing a unified system of education in Islamabad Capital Territory to make it an example for others. It was reflective of the government' seriousness towards the uplift of education as well as teachers community but it seems that the efforts to get it implemented will go into vain, they lamented.
Expressing his views, Press Secretary Federal Government College Teachers Association (FGCTA), Professor Tahir said the associations and teachers community launched several protests to get the package implemented. "We have lost all hopes as the funds for package upgrading will be lapsed, if the matter is not finalised before the budget". Only few days are left in the announcement of the budget and summer vacation will also start from June 1, he said.
He apprised that according to the package, federal government and model educational institutions were supposed to be merged but only F.G schools have been renamed as model schools. While the facilities including infrastructure and faculty have not been changed, parents are hesitant to admit their children in the renamed institutes. The new academic year has already begun but the evening shifts in model institutes are continuing despite several announcements to abandon the same through shifting the evening students to nearby renamed model schools. Professor Tahir said it is a long outstanding demand of the parents to end evening shifts in model colleges as the students are suffering due to odd timings, he said.