Zubair Qureshi
Contrary to its previous policy of not ‘disturbing’ teachers working on disputation in various schools of the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE), the federal government has taken a U-Turn and started sending repatriation letters to deputationists.
These letters are being issued ‘selectively’ to the principals of the schools to send all those teachers whose services were hired on deputation and those who are without an NOC back to their parent department with immediate effect.
Interestingly, this step is being seen as contrary to the recent announcement of the current government that it would give one-time absorption to all those teachers working on deputation in Islamabad’s schools for over five years.
This U-Turn has sent shivers among the deputationists mostly female teachers who are currently working on deputation under wedlock or other policies and their children are studying at the local schools and their families are well settled in Islamabad.
While talking to Pakistan Observer on Thursday, an official of the FDE admitted earlier the education ministry had asked them to prepare a list of all the deputationists and send their cases for absorption to the Establishment Division, however, later the bureaucracy created hurdles and now it has stepped back from giving much-awaited relief to these teachers who are working and waiting for absorption.
“These teachers on deputation have to forego promotion and every three years they have to submit No Objection Certificate to FDE for another three years’ lease of life,” he said. If given one-time absorption it will turn out to be a blessing for them as their children are enrolled here at local schools, he added.
While talking to this scribe principal of an Islamabad Model school too said she was unable to comprehend what had made the FDE issue such bizarre order at a time when every thing was going quite smoothly and there was no complaint against these teachers from any side and they were doing their duties quite efficiently.
Islamabad schools are already short of teachers and repatriating these teachers will leave the schools without experienced staff and will thus have negative impact on the students’ performance, he further said.
The FDE in an office order dated January 20, 2020 directed the principals of four schools and colleges—IMSG Sarai Khurboza, IMSG G-7/3-1, IMSG No. 2 G-9/2 and IMCB Rawal Dam—to repatriate Physical Education Teachers/Physical Training Instructors working under the ambit of Federal Directorate of Education. The teachers include Mrs Rahat Sultana, Ms Nusrat Rasheed, Mrs Sajida Anwar and Mr Hameedullah.
Around 200 teachers are working on deputation and these repatriation letters have upset their families.
