GILGIT: Government schools across Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) remained closed for a seventh consecutive day, as teachers continued their protest over delayed promotions and the non-implementation of pay scale revisions.
On the other hand, the regional government has initiated the verification of academic degrees of all the teachers, directing the School Education Department to complete the process on an individual basis and submit a report.
Led by the Teachers’ Coordination Committee, the protest earlier saw rallies and sit-ins in key districts including Gilgit, Skardu, Hunza, Nagar, Ghizer.In Gilgit city, a major sit-in was underway outside the Directorate of Education, paralysing official work and drawing widespread attention.
The teachers are demanding enforcement of promotion orders issued by the Supreme Appellate Court of Gilgit-Baltistan.While over 300 educators have reportedly been upgraded, protest leaders say hundreds others qualified teachers continue to be denied their due promotions.
“B.Ed holders are entitled to Grade 16, while CT-qualified teachers should be placed in Grade 14,” said a senior member of the coordination committee.“We have fulfilled all requirements, yet the authorities remain unmoved.” The government’s decision to verify teachers’ degrees has raised eyebrows among protestors, who fear it could be used as a stalling tactic.
The organisers said government teachers had been demanding promotions for many years. Teachers with a Bachelor of Education should be promoted to Grade 16, while those with a Certificate in Teaching should be promoted to Grade 14, they explained, but nearly 7,000 teachers despite the required qualification were ignored when the education department promoted only 300 in a “discriminatory” way.
According to them, the GB Supreme Appellate Court had directed the government to grant teachers their legitimate pay scales. Also, the chief court ordered the implementation of the appellate court’s order for qualified teachers to be given their due service scales. However, the protesters said, the GB government was reluctant to implement the court order, depriving teachers of their rights.
They said many teachers despite having qualifications for promotion had been serving in same grades for more than a decade. They demanded that all CT and BEd qualified teachers be promoted to their relevant grades immediately. They said that teacher representatives had held meetings with government officials and education department heads, but the issue was ignored.
GB officials said the education department had moved an appeal before the GB Supreme Appellate Court against the decision related to teachers’ promotion. After a court ruling on the appeal, the GB government would decide the matter accordingly.
