Zubair Qureshi
In clear violation of the government’s policy of status quo on the issue of teachers working on deputation, Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) is sending letters of repatriation to these teachers working in various schools of the federal capital. The bizarre move has been initiated recently when FDE started sending letters to teachers one by one fearing a backlash from them and their families.
Interestingly, at a time when all the government business has come to a halt because of coronavirus, sending of such letters, FDE has chosen this hour for repatriation of these teachers adding to their worries.
The Acting Director General (DG) of the FDE Syed Umair Javed in a recent meeting with teachers said he would not listen to them anymore and make sure all of them returned to their parent departments. When his attention was drawn to the government’s 10pc seats allocation for teachers or the policy of status quo, he showed little interest.
Acting DG’s remarks have surprised rather upset around 200 teachers who have come from all the four provinces, the AJK and GB on deputation under wedlock policy and have been working in the federal capital for more than ten years.
According to a teacher, a summary by the then Prime Minister in 2013 directed absorption of female teachers on deputation. The policy is awaiting the authorities’ attention, he further said.
While talking to Pakistan Observer, deputationist teachers expressed their dismay at the cold response of the FDE. “It is pity that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government instead of facilitating or announcing some package for us the deputationists in the federal capital is bent upon sending them back to their parent department. Our families are well settled here in Islamabad; our kids are studying in local schools and there is a government’s policy too, of allocating certain number of seats for teachers from other provinces. Such a decision amounts to destroy our entire family life,” said they.
An official of the FDE told this correspondent that there was a summary approved by Prime Minister back in 2013 in favour of female teachers who are working under wedlock policy in the federal educational institutions.
In this regard, the FDE formed a committee, which, in light of the scrutiny, examined the papers of the employees of Grade 1 to 15 under the DPC. However, no further progress was made and these teachers are at tenterhooks as almost daily they are told FDE’s letter of repatriation has been received to one of their colleagues.
Unfortunately, a number of female teachers working on deputation have retired but owing to absence of clear policy by the government, they are not getting pensions and other allowances.
In the past there were a number of teachers absorbed in the FDE after completion of deputation period. In 2000, as many as 23 teachers were absorbed in federal capital, in 2008, 13 teachers were absorbed and in 2010-11, eight teachers were absorbed in federal capital, an official of the FDE said adding if the Federal Minister Shafqat Mehmood and Prime Minister Imran Khan took interest, these teachers could also be absorbed in Islamabad’s educational institutions.
