The Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association (SPLA) has announced a province-wide sit-in outside Bilawal House or the Chief Minister House on April 13, citing a 14-year delay in the promotions of lecturers and the complete failure of the College Education Department to resolve key issues.
The decision was made today at a meeting of SPLA’s Central Executive Committee, chaired by central president Munawar Abbas. The committee reviewed the situation following the February 12 sit-in and expressed deep concern over the department’s inaction despite two months passing since negotiations.
According to a statement from the association, promises made by the department have not been fulfilled. The meeting participants expressed concern over the lack of progress in improving the dilapidated condition of colleges, arranging necessary textbooks for over 30 subjects, and resolving students’ examination issues.
SPLA detailed a specific grievance regarding the summary for the “five-year formula,” claiming it has been lying on the desk of the Sindh Education Minister for a month, which is a sign of the department’s non-seriousness in resolving teachers’ issues.
Before the main protest, the association will hold demonstrations across the province. Demonstrations will be held in the Karachi region on April 7, the Hyderabad region (including Mirpurkhas and Benazirabad) on April 8, and the Sukkur region (including Larkana) on April 9. These programs will run alongside a newly launched campaign named “Stop Corruption, Save Education,” which will target the alleged misuse of funds for furniture, sports, and teacher training.
SPLA intends to take the matter further and will send written complaints detailing the department’s deteriorating situation, alleged corruption, and political interference to President Asif Ali Zardari, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and Aseefa Bhutto.
The association suggested that the current education minister might be overburdened due to handling three separate departments. It has demanded that the Sindh Chief Minister either appoint a separate minister for the College Education Department or hand over this portfolio entirely to the current minister, Sardar Shah, to prevent further “destruction” of colleges.
Furthermore, SPLA strongly condemned the show-cause notices issued by the Secretary of Colleges to its central president and general secretary, calling the move an “insult to the college teachers of Sindh” and demanding their immediate withdrawal.
In his concluding remarks, SPLA President Munawar Abbas said that teachers were forced to take to the streets again after the assurances given in February were broken. He pointed out that more than half of Sindh’s colleges do not have principals appointed, and lecturers have been awaiting promotion for 14 years despite 70 percent of grade-based seats being vacant. He termed it a “great injustice” that DPs and librarians are being deprived of promotions despite their departmental promotion committee meeting eight months ago.