Daily Times

The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training on Wednesday sent a summary to the federal cabinet for regularization of 227 daily-wage teachers who have been notified from the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) in its written tests and interviews held couple for months back.

As per information available with Daily Times, the summary cabinet was sent by secretary ministry of education Waseem Ajmal Chaudhry for formal approval as it was directed by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in its verdict under which the case of aforementioned daily wagers had been sent to the Commission.

When contacted Chaudhry confirmed the development, saying that that summary was successfully sent after fulfilling all codal formalities. “It might be approved by the cabinet in its upcoming meeting,” he hoped.

The secretary stated that it was binding imposed by the IHC in its verdict that the matter should be approved by the federal government, adding that the federal cabinet is the federal government.

He added that when cabinet approves, all employees will be given joining letters from authorities concerned in the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) within no time, adding that after joining letters the placement of the teachers will be planned after fulfilling some minor formalities prescribed in the rules.

An official said while wishing anonymity that the joining letters will be issued with effect from that date when the ministry of finance gives approval for creation of required seats.

On the other hand, the education ministry also confirmed regularization of a group of 137 daily-wage teachers who were not part of said FPSC exams. Also, approval from the federal cabinet was not sought like these 227 teachers confirmed by the Commission.

While explaining this matter the secretary, however, claimed that it was as per law. To reply to a question, he clarified that the summary of these 137 was not sent to the federal cabinet because it was not required as per IHC judgment under which the regularization was practiced. “In that case, the court just asked the authorities concerned to regularise these 137 teachers,” he recalled.

During the tenure of the PPP from 2008-13, a cabinet committee headed by Syed Khursheed Shah was established for the regularisation of daily wagers and contractual employees.

Tens of thousands of employees were regularised in dozens of ministries and divisions. In the education ministry, a number of employees/ teachers were also regularised, but scores of others were left as the tenure of the PPP ended.

However, the PML-N government, which remained in power till 2018, did not resume the process of regularisation.

In 2018-19, the teachers approached the IHC which directed the ministry to refer their cases to FPSC.

The FPSC held tests but almost half of the teachers, majority of whom were notified, did not sit the tests and interviews which were completed in September 2023.

Currently, there are 432 educational institutions functioning across the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). Interestingly, almost each institution lacks required teaching capacity despite that, according to the educational experts, deliberate hindrance in regularisation of this trained teaching lot is beyond understanding. The sources disclosed that a large number of daily-wage teachers quit their jobs due to such discriminatory behavior and undue delay in teachers’ reguarlarisation by the authorities concerned in the FDE and education ministry.