15% salary rise means nothing for teachers who remain unpaid in summer vacation

“15% rise in salaries of government servants carries no meaning for me as I am among the 500 unlucky teachers who are neither paid the minimum wage fixed by the government nor get any salary during the summer vacation,” commented a teacher when asked by INFN to comment on the relief given by the government in the Budget 2011-12.

Human beings need to earn a living throughout the year for their own survival as well as for the survival of their near and dear ones; however, there is an unfortunate species of humans who are supposed to have no right to live during the summer vacation as their salaries are stopped. They are none other than the teachers serving on daily wage basis in the schools and colleges being run by the Federal Directorate of Education, (FDE) Islamabad.

When contacted by INFN, Director Model Colleges, Muhammad Tariq Masood showed his concern but seemed helpless as he said, “The salaries of these teachers are not regulated by the Directorate rather the Principal of each college pays them salary from the Students Fund. And if the Principals do not pay them salaries they might be short of funds.”

When argued by INFN “The college administration collects the advance fee for summer vacation from the students including the Student Fund, then why these teachers are not paid salaries?” He was clearly lacking words to justify the malpractice and seemed to be helpless in front of the ‘Principal Mafia’ as was quoted by a group of daily wage teachers serving at different colleges in Islamabad when they shared with INFN in a joint meeting, “Principals do not consider us human beings. We are paid only Rs 6000 which is lesser than the ‘minimum wage’ fixed by the Government in the Budget. If we argue with the Principals they threaten to terminate us from service and we are unable to get our right.”

“Isn’t it inhuman, insulting and disgusting that the Principal of my college asks me to ‘get lost’ during the summer vacation and come back when the college will need my services as a teacher? It is as if he expects me to die along with my family for three months and come alive after the summer vacation as the college would need my services. F.D.E is the regulatory and watchdog authority but it is being exploited be the so-called ‘unity of principals’ which is rather ‘a unison for evil’ as they make sure in their meetings that the teachers are treated as slaves and no benefit is extended to us,” said one of the teachers, requesting not to be named for fear of losing his job, as tears trickled down his cheeks.

It is a pity that the Federal Director of Education (FDE) leaves these teachers in the lurch and does not take a principle stand by issuing orders to the principals of colleges regarding granting salaries to these ‘Builders of our Nation’ during the summer vacation.