FDE seems reluctant to approve one-time induction of 300 teachers despite govt’s assurances
Zubair Qureshi
Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) is yet to withdraw repatriation letters issued to female teachers working on deputation under wedlock policy in its schools and continues to linger the matter despite clear instructions by the National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Education Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain and Parliamentary Secretary for Education Zeb Jaffer.
The ordeal of these teachers thus seems to be far from over and the red tape prevails over the will of the lawmakers.
These teachers are visiting the ministry, FDE and the Parliament House almost on a daily basis. In return, they get only promises and assurances, etc.
According to details, the FDE recently issued repatriation letters to some of 300 female teachers who are working under wedlock policy in its schools for the last several years and asked them to return to their parent teaching departments in provinces.
Against this decision of the FDE, these teachers whose children are enrolled at Islamabad’s various schools, colleges and universities raised the matter with the Speaker of the National Assembly and Education Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain pleading that they cannot return as they have settled in the capital along with their families. They also drew the attention of Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Rana Tanveer Hussain that the FDE had issued repatriation letters even to those teachers who had brought the permanent No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from their parent departments. Now they would not accept them even if they return.
Besides, there is a provision of 10pc quota for absorption of these teachers in Islamabad schools. Under that provision teachers were absorbed until 2014 but later it was stopped.
Moreover, the then Prime Ministers Syed Yousuf Raz Gilani and Raja Pervaiz Ashraf had approved a policy in their respective tenures to induct these teachers as permanent staff in the FDE schools but that policy was not implemented by the FDE. They appealed to them to resolve this long-standing issue and give one-time induction to all these teachers so that the matter could be decided once for all.
While talking to Pakistan Observer a number of teachers on deputation said they had complete faith in the word of Speaker, Education Minister and the Parliamentary Secretary as the matter was raised in the National Assembly earlier this month (August 2). A meeting was also held between the teachers’ representatives and the Parliamentary Secretary in this regard.
However, the FDE despite all this development is putting off the matter causing panic and unrest among these female teachers who have forsaken their seniority and other perks for the sake of living with their families. One of the teachers who have been issued repatriate letters showed concerns on the FDE’s intentions saying she feared she might be expelled as she didn’t have the permanent NOC.
An FDE official requesting not to quote him, said majority of these teachers on depuration have outstayed in the schools and didn’t have the permanent NOCs. When asked how they could get a permanent NOC, he said it is the FDE that writes to their parent departments to issue them a permanent NOC. When asked further in that case how they could get a permanent NOC, he said it was up to the directorate to do this.A female teacher said the FDE and the previous government of Imran Khan had little regard for the women teachers who have been working with utmost devotion and dedication for the last many years in Islamabad schools. We were left with no option but to go on protest during the previous government of Imran Khan but we hope this government will solve this issue and give us the much-awaited relief, she said.
