The employees of the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) have called off a nine-day long protest and agreed for the conditional re-opening of educational institutions across Islamabad from Thursday (today).
“The federal government has sought time from us for addressing the issue and finding out a solution and classes will start from Thursday,” a spokesman for the Federal Government Education Joint Action Committee (FGEJAC) said on Wednesday while announcing the end of the protest.
The teachers’ body agreed to end the protest on assurance from the government that it will withdraw the 22 November notification, which placed 33 Model Colleges under the Federal Government College for Education.
Fazal Moula, the chairman of the FGEJAC, said that the committee will monitor the situation for the next two to three weeks and would resume the protest if the government fails to fulfill its promise.
The teaching and non-teaching staff of the FDE had suspended educational activities across Islamabad on 30 November in protest against the promulgation of the controversial Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Ordinance-2021 which placed FDE institutions under the Municipal Corporation of Islamabad (MCI).
During a meeting with the senior officials of the ministry on Wednesday, the teachers’ body expressed concerns regarding ambiguity in pay and promotion structures as well as revocation of their status of being federal government employees.
The FGEJAC members also showed concerns regarding funding, which according to them, had always been an issue at the MCI.
The delegation termed the government’s measures as a gross violation of the Civil Services Act, and asserted that “MCI was a dying cadre and being part of this would kill all future prospects.”
They also demanded the removal of section 166 of the ICT Local Government Ordinance which paved the way for the semi-privatization of FDE institutions.
The officials of the education ministry assured the teachers’ association that the government was fully aware of their concerns and ensured that all their service matters will be dealt with under the Civil Servants Act.
The ministry agreed that the notification dated 22 November to separate 33 colleges will be immediately withdrawn.
