RAWALPINDI, Jan 22: Delay in the implementation of Punjab government’s notifications about promotion of schoolteachers at the elementary, primary and high school levels in the district has caused resentment and despair among the teachers, Dawn has learnt.

The governor of Punjab had issued a number of notifications regarding upgradation of teachers and increase in their allowances on September 24 last year and the benefits were to be drawn with effect from September 1, 2007.

A high school teacher told Dawn that the government’s decision had come after the teachers launched protests and boycotted classes for acceptance of their demands. But the undue delay in the implementation of the notifications is tormenting the teachers, he added.

According to one of the notifications, all teachers were to be upgraded on the basis of seniority. Fifty per cent primary school teachers would remain in the same basic pay scale of 7, while 34 per cent would be promoted to BPS 9, 15 per cent to BPS 11 and one per cent to BPS 12. As many as 50 per cent of the elementary schoolteachers would remain in BPS 9, 34 per cent would go to BPS 12 and one per cent to BPS 15. Whereas 50 per cent of English teachers of the elementary cadre would be promoted to BPS 14 and the rest to BPS 15. It was decided that 50 per cent of secondary school teachers would remain in BPS 16, 35 per cent would move to BPS 17 and the rest would be promoted to BPS 18.

The notification also approved the conversion of pay package of all the educators into the corresponding pay scale. Elementary school educators would have BPS 9, senior elementary teachers BPS 14 and secondary educators would get BPS 16. Special increments were also given to science and mathematics teachers. All the principals were to get increase in their allowances while teachers working in small cities and far-off areas were sanctioned mobility allowances.

According to a senior teacher, the Punjab government had allocated Rs3.75 billion for upgradation of the teachers but the funds had not been transferred to the district causing delay and resentment among the teachers.

When contacted, Executive District Officer (education) Chaudhry Mohammad Yousuf said upgradation of teachers would be allowed on recommendations of the District Selection Committee keeping in view their performance during the last three years and provided that no regular enquiry was pending against them.

The committee has met and decided about the nominations of the teachers but its members are preparing the minutes of the meeting. Once the minutes are approved by the committee and signed by the appointing authority, a final notification will be issued. “It is a procedural delay nothing else,” he maintained.