Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The college teachers who are on duty during summer vacation and teaching BS and Associate Degree Program (ADP) classes have demanded 48 days earned leave in the pattern of other civil servants.

Professor Farhan Azam, senior vice president of the Federal Government College Teachers Association (FGCTA) said, educational institutions are called Vacation departments.

The earned leave of the employees of the vacation department is calculated at the rate of one day for every calendar month of duty rendered. It means employees/teachers earn only 10 days leave on full average pay if they avail vacations.

But when during any year the employees of the vacation department are prevented from availing themselves of the vacation, they are entitled to 48 days earned leave like other government servants of non-vacation department. So the Federal Directorate of Education should issue the orders to give compensatory leave to the teachers who are on duty during summer vacation.

Professor Tasneem Akhter Mir, Vice president of FGCTA said, during summer vacation teachers spend time with family and friends, or just relax with days off. But if they are called for duty, they should, however, be treated like other civil servants. Teachers should be compensated and 48 days earned leave may be credited in their leave account.

This unused earned leave is converted to leave encashment at the time of retirement, based on the basic pay of the teacher. She further said there were almost no vacations last year. Only two-week vacations were announced instead of two months and teachers were engaged in academic activities either in physical teaching or online teaching.

They were entitled to 48 days earned leave but no orders of earned leave were issued so far. FGCTA President Dr. Rahima Rahman said, family life is at the center of our culture, and the shared time is highly valued but teachers sacrifice their family time in teaching the classes. If a teacher sacrifices his/her time, he/she should be compensated.”

She urged the authorities at FDE to issue the notification of earned leave of previous year which should be accrued in the leave account of teachers who were on duty. Moreover, FDE should compensate the teachers who are teaching ADP and BS classes in the current summer vacation.