PoGB: Professors, teachers raise concerns over anti-people education policies in Pakistan

A panel of educationists representing the All Pakistan Professors and Teachers Association on Wednesday organized a major press conference at Gilgit Press Club in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit Baltistan (PoGB) to highlight the loopholes in the educational policy of Pakistan, which has failed to address education as a necessary part of the society, Pamir Times reported.

The panel complained, that every government has repeatedly failed to provide resources and conditions mandatory for creating a conducive environment for education to flourish.

The central spokesperson of the association while addressing the press conference said “The panel sitting here represents the entire college education system of Pakistan state. And after considering several factors we observe that all federal and provincial governments in Pakistan have failed to concentrate their policies around the betterment of education in the country. This can be observed in the fact that the budget allocated to education is often the lowest in every budget session”.

The spokesperson also elaborated on the financial issues faced by professors and teachers in Pakistan, stating that the administration has looted their pensions under the guise of pension reforms.

He said ” The administration has looted our pensions under the name of pension reforms, we critically condemn such actions and demand an immediate and unconditional revocation of the same. Similarly, the heavy taxes imposed on teachers must also be revoked. As we receive mere pennies in the name of house rent, medical, and convince allowances. With such remuneration, we are not able to manage our expenses within our salaries. Hence, we demand that our salaries be re-adjusted according to the inflation”.

The panel also demanded that the administration add teaching allowance to the salaries of teachers and professors in all parts of Pakistan, PoGB and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). Additionally, an allotment by the administration must be made to a group insurance fund specifically designed for education personnel.

Moreover, the panel also highlighted that the Pakistani administration has been privatizing several colleges that can survive by themselves. The spokesperson mentioned that if such privatization is necessary then the colleges and schools that are not able to survive must be privatised.

Another female representative from the Punjab Province during the press conference mentioned that “The policies of education in Pakistan are basically ‘Anti People Policies’ and they are not designed to support the underprivileged. These policies are designed to ensure that the common man is not able to get an education and ultimately question the hierarchy”. She also revealed that approximately 6500 teachers in Pakistan’s Punjab province have been facing major pay cuts in which some of them face approximately PKR 40000 in deductions.

She also mentioned that Education is a way of developing Human capital, and hence must be kept separate from all capitalism and politics. As financial problems of the educationists will ultimately affect the future of the children.