The Sindh government joined hands with teachers on Friday to end the longstanding protest.
It had accepted one of the key demand about the provision of a higher grade on the basis of the time scale of BPS-20 to high school teachers. The Finance Department has also been issued a notification in this regard.
Sources said that the provincial government had formed a committee to address the remaining demands of teachers.
According to a notification, high school teachers would be awarded higher grade on the basis of the time scale of BPS-20 on completion of 5 years in BPS-19.
Sindh government has also approved the formation a committee of SELD officers, which would be headed by the Secretary SELD with representatives of the GSTA, GOA and PTA to recommend amendments to the existing recruitment rules.
During its meeting with Government Secondary Teachers Association (GSTA), the Sindh government also agreed to allow the time scale BPS-17 to Junior School Teacher. A summary in this regard will also be submitted to the Sindh chief minister.
A committee would propose suitable amendments to the cabinet for the approval of legislation to regularise IQRA, SU, NTS and IBA passed teachers from their initial appointment.
DPC would be convened within 10 days.
The Finance Department would consider the provision of the group insurance claim to all employees of the Sindh government similar to that given in Balochistan in the light of the Supreme Court’s verdict.
Teachers had put forward eight demands including making them permanent, promotion and revision of timescale and announced to continue with the protest till the demands were accepted.
Earlier, government teachers had announced to boycott classes on Friday in Karachi as a protest against being treated with batons and tear gas at Karachi’s Press Club by police.
A representative of the teachers union had remarked on Thursday that teaching would remain suspended at public schools in Karachi in protest.
They would hold a major power show outside the KPC on Friday, he added while noting that teachers’ convoys across the province would participate in the protest demonstration.
In a similar development, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had also expressed his displeasure on the alleged torture against protesting teachers and ordered an inquiry in this regard.
Taking serious notice of the coercive measures taken against protesting teachers, he ordered the provincial home secretary to report him on the basis of a thorough inquiry into the matter.
Karachi Commissioner had also been directed to negotiate with teachers and resolve the issue.
He regretted, “I had strictly warned him [commissioner] against the coercive measure but even then action was taken.”
This was unacceptable and uncalled for, CM Shah added.
Calling teachers respectable for shaping the future of our future generation, CM noted, “They must be treated humbly and with respect.”
He pledged to not tolerate such kind of actions.
Due to the protest by teachers, several schools in Hyderabad remained closed on Friday. The decision to boycott the educational activities across the Sindh province has come at a crucial time when the Board of Secondary Education (Matric) and Intermediate exams are scheduled to start from April 1.
The boycott would jeopardise the exams.
Parents fear that the absence of teachers would seriously affect the education of the children.
Earlier, the police had resorted to shelling against protesting teachers, where female teachers were also present in a large number. Many teachers had received injuries in the police action.
To help normalise the situation, the provincial education minister also called the protesting teachers for settlement.