Teachers of Federal Government (FG) colleges have accused the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) of failing to address the issues facing the colleges, their teaching staff and students.
College teachers have announced that they will continue to wear black armbands while on duty and have also threatened to go on a pen strike until the FDE accepts their demands.
The teachers want a separate higher education system for Islamabad modeled on the provinces, immediate appointment of a separate principal for FG colleges, elimination of victimization of women teachers, revision of the 4-tier formula, restoration of Associate Degree and BS programs in colleges, and higher time scale.
Federal Government College Teachers Association (FGCTA) joint secretary Anum Kaleem said it was unanimously agreed in the association meeting that the neglect of genuine issues of college teachers shows the apathy of the authorities towards FG colleges.
The General Secretary of FGCTA, Dr. Nazir Ahmed Bhutta, added that FGCTA has repeatedly presented the issues of FG colleges and their teachers to FDE. However, the department has not taken any steps to resolve its issues.
FGCTA Senior Vice President Prof. Farhan Azam alleged that as per FDE directives, various Associate Degree Programs (ADP) and BS programs were discontinued in FG colleges and teachers were transferred in the middle of academic sessions.
FGCTA President, Dr. Rahima Rehman, said some FDE officers formulated policies without consulting teachers and principals. He added that FDE’s “my way or the highway” approach is affecting the academic process in colleges.