ISLAMABAD: Teachers working in educational institutions under the Federal Directorate of Education have demanded a higher time scale.
According to an official source, over 82 male and female teachers including Professors, Associate Professors, and Assistant Professors working in 32 colleges under FDE have demanded to upgrade their position through time scale from BPS-18 to BPS-19, BPS-19 to BPS-20, and from BPS-20 to BPS-21.
They said that they have completed their probation period in their respective grades and were eligible for the next higher grade. Moreover, lecturers who were not granted a higher time scale in the previous meeting had also demanded a higher time scale.
According to the teachers, the last meeting of the time scale committee was held in March 2020, and teachers in BPS-18, 19, and 20 got higher time scales. Later on in the year 2021, the meeting to grant higher time scale to the lecturers (BPS-17) was held but the cases of those lecturers were turned down who were regularized through cabinet sub-committee.
Ayesha Kiran, lecturer at Islamabad Model College for Girls (Postgraduate) F-7/2 and a local unit president of Federal Government College Teachers Association (FGCTA) said, “The lecturers who were regularized through cabinet sub-committee had not been granted higher time which is injustice. They have been imparting their valuable educational services to the young students for the last over 15 years but when it comes to them there is no recognition of their services.
So they believe that the teaching profession offers limited opportunities for career advancement”. She further said that fuel prices and inflation in the country had risen to such a level that the teachers have not been able to make both ends meet with their current pay.
Amjad Ali Awan, a teacher at a local educational institution said, “Teachers’ recognition is an important issue that deserves more academic attention.” Higher time scale in various cadres is one of the long-standing demands of the teachers’ community.
The recognition of teachers in the form of higher time scale/promotion can help strengthen a sense of pride in teachers and help them feel respected and supported. Meanwhile President FGCTA, Dr. Rahima Rehman said, “Teachers must feel respected and supported if they are to make a difference in the lives of their students.
Keeping in mind the importance of the recognition of teachers, Director General FDE Dr. Ikram Ali Malik has established a separate career progression section at FDE to address the promotion and time scale issues of teachers”.
“We expect this step taken by DG will resolve the promotion and time scale issues of the teachers and it will have a direct impact on the entire education setup by improving morale, career satisfaction, motivation, productivity, and responsiveness”, she said.
She also urged the authorities at the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training to fix an early date for the meeting of the departmental promotion committee to conduct promotion cases of lecturers as well as grant of higher time scale cases simultaneously.