Rana Mashud opens his lips on Teachers issues

Lahore: Provincial Minister for Education Rana Mashud Ahmad Khan has said that Punjab government has earlier accepted all genuine demands of teachers and will spare no effort in future as well. He said that representatives of teachers’ organizations and the government are on one page whereas the teachers have rejected those protesting on roads and they do not represent teachers in anyway.

He was talking to media in the presence of heads of teachers’ organizations at Civil Secretariat, today. Secretary Schools Abdul Jabbar Shaheen, Deputy Secretary Ahmed Kamboh, EDO Lahore Pervaiz Akhtar and concerned officers were present on the occasion.

Rana Mashud said that it is vision of Chief Minister Punjab that no child should remain out of school and a number of steps are being taken for the promotion of quality education and achieving this objective. He said that teachers have central place in educational field, therefore, government has always accepted genuine demands of teachers. Informing about the steps taken by the government with regard to teachers demands, the Provincial Minister said that the summary for regularizing contract teachers has been sent to Chief Minister Punjab for approval, due to which 50 thousand teachers will be benefitted.

He said that the action taken on the basis of results of Grade 5, 8 and 9 has been stop on the demand of teachers’ organizations. He said that instructions have been issued to EDOs to complete the promotion process upto Grade 16 by May 31 whereas the promotion process of teachers from Grade 17 to 20 has been completed. Rana Mashhood said that all DCOs and EDOs have been directed not to take non-teaching duties from teachers. He said that accepting the demands of the teachers, the recommendations regarding authority of PST to Deputy DEO instead of DEO has been sent to concerned authority. He said that repeater students will not be considered drop out and no action will be taken against the teachers.

He said that free provision of syllabus books has been ensured whereas 1300 teachers have been promoted for posting headmasters and head teachers on vacant posts. He said that instructions have been issued to controlling officers for granting two days casual leave to the teachers in case of emergency.

The Provincial Minister said that a committee headed by DPI has been constituted for upgradation of PST and EST teachers which will submit its recommendations up to June 30. He said that a committee has been constituted for giving cash prizes and promotion of those teachers whose students get prominent positions in 5^th, 8^th , 9^th  and 10^th classes which will submit its report by June 20 and future strategy will be evolved in the light of this report.