Aftab Mohmand
Government college teachers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa brought the teaching process to a temporary halt as they staged protests advocating for their demands. Over 322 college teachers from across the province joined the protest and boycotted classes in response to a call by the provincial teachers’ organization, “KAPLA.”
Abdul Hameed Afridi and Nasir Ali, leaders among the protesting teachers, explained that their demonstration aimed to draw attention to the stalled promotions of 800 to 900 male and female teachers throughout the province.
Promotions in hundreds of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa colleges have been on hold for the past seven years, affecting both male and female teachers ranging from Grade 17 to Grade 21, some of whom haven’t received promotions in a decade.
Teacher leaders voiced their concerns about a meeting held by the Provincial Selection Board in October of the previous year. During this meeting, they were promised that the issue of college teacher promotions would be addressed promptly.
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However, a recent meeting of the Provincial Selection Board did not include their longstanding demand on the agenda. Moreover, the most recent meeting was postponed due to the absence of the Chief Secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The teachers emphasized that while employees in various provincial departments are consistently promoted, the same does not hold true for teachers. Despite numerous attempts through protests, social media, and media platforms to convey their demands to the provincial selection board, the concerned authorities have not given due consideration to their request.
In response to concerns about the impact on students’ education, the teacher leaders stressed that the provincial selection board and the government should address these concerns. They asserted that teachers have never wished for students’ learning to be disrupted.
In the past, if students’ studies were affected due to college teachers’ protests, teachers ensured that their studies continued unaffected by conducting double classes. They concluded that demanding promotions was not only their right but also their constitutional right.
