ISLAMABAD: Hundreds of teachers from federal government public schools, located in the federal capital, staged a massive protest at the Constitution Avenue, on Thursday, demanding of the government to withdraw the controversial presidential ordinance that brings Islamabad’s model schools under the administrative ambit of the Metropolitan Corporation of Islamabad (MCI).

The charged protesters comprising teachers and other staff members took out a huge rally from the National Press Club (NPC) to D-Chowk, Islamabad.

The Islamabad Police had installed barricades to stop the protestors at the D-Chowk but they removed the obstacles and headed towards the Parliament House.

However, the police finally managed to stop the protestors outside the legislature’s building.

The protesting employees chanted slogans demanding of the government to withdraw the ordinance.

Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif also joined the protestors. “Teachers are held in high esteem in civilised societies. But civility and these rulers are two separate things,” he said.

The PML-N leader said opposition parties extend their full support to the protesting teachers.

“Your demands are completely justified and this ordinance is totally unjustified. This government is being run through ordinances,” he added.

The Federal Government Education Joint Action Committee (FGEJAC), a collective forum of different bodies of teachers, announced that teachers and other employees of model schools would hold a sit-in in the coming days, if their demand was not met.

Speaking to Business Recorder, FGEJAC Chairman Fazal Maula said, 395 schools located in the jurisdiction of the federal capital would remain closed till the demand of the protesting teachers for withdrawal of the ordinance is met.

“Earlier on Tuesday, Ali Nawaz Awan from the government side had a meeting with us. He was defending the controversial ordinance. This was simply unacceptable to us. So, the meeting proved inconclusive,” he added.

“There are thousands of federal government teachers. We cannot simply back off. By introducing this ordinance, the government is trying to play havoc with the future of the teachers and students. We cannot let that happen,” he added.

Elaborating on the matter, the FGEJAC chairman said, federal government teachers are civil servants functioning under the administrative ambit of the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) that is headed by the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training (MoFEPT).

“The federal government servants have top status in government ranks followed by provincial civil servants. The local government employees are ranked lowest in this hierarchy. How can we allow our ranks to be demoted all the way from federal government to local government servants?” he said.

“The MCI is not in a very good condition and it is struggling with financial issues. How will the MCI generate funds to pay salaries to the teachers? It will have to increase the fees of students to generate funds.

This is tantamount to privatisation of public schools. Needless to mention that deserving students study in public schools who would be deprived of education if the MCI or mayor takes over,” Maula added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021