ISLAMABAD: Different colleges’ staff working under the setup of Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) is continuing their protest, demanding upgradation of pay scales under Time Scale Promotion Formula (TSPF).

The teachers from various colleges gathered at Federal Government Post-Graduate College for Women G-10/4 here on Wednesday and held a protest demonstration for the acceptance of their demand.

The protest was led by the office bearers of Federal Government Colleges Teachers Association (FGCTA) with the participation of hundreds of teachers wearing black strips on their arms, demanding upgradation of the teachers working in BPS-17 and above through TSPF.

The teachers were carrying banners inscribed with their demands of implementing decision of upgradation of college teachers.

Addressing the participants, FGCTA President Zahid Ali Shah said, ‘Teachers community will continue its protest against discriminatory attitude of the authorities, if their status is not upgraded, they will observe the International Teachers Day on October 5 as a Black Day’.

College teacher, Professor Khalida Makhdoom said the teachers community had been struggling for their upgradation ever since they were assured by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on World Teachers Day October 5, 2006 but still their voices are unheard.

Professor Ali Yar said, ‘we sharpen the human and national destiny and produce doctors, engineers, economic professionals and workforce of all kinds and even the generations of technocrats, statesmen and politicians but still deprived of our due right. Now we pledge to continue our struggle until acceptance or our demands’.

Talking to APP, FGCTA representative Professor Tahir said that the officials of the directorate again gave assurance to teachers but we will continue our protest until we receive something in black and white.

He said that teachers’ community would boycott the classes from today (September 23) to September 27 (Tuesday) in last two periods.

They will boycott the classes from September 28 (Wednesday) to October 1 (Saturday) in first two periods while a protest will be held in front of Press Club with full day boycott of classes on October 3.

The protestors will observe full day boycott of classes from October 4 (Tuesday) to October 5 (Wednesday) and will launch protest in front of Parliament House from October 6 (Thursday) till fulfillment of their demands.

Upgradation of teachers was the part of Teachers package announced last year and even a single clause of the teachers package, including abolition of evening shifts, teachers’

upgradation and merger of federal government institutes into model setup has not been fully implemented yet. app.