The Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association (SPLA) has threatened to protest strongly against the provincial government for not giving promotions to college teachers and its failure to resolve the growing administrative crisis, which has left more than half of the province’s colleges without permanent heads.

SPLA’s central leadership, including President Munawar Abbas and General Secretary Ghulam Mustafa Kaka, emphasized in a joint statement today that a large number of colleges in Sindh are running without permanent principals and Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs), which is severely affecting the education system.

The association pointed out that despite thousands of posts from Grade 18 to 20 being vacant, a meeting of the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) has not been convened to process the promotions of male lecturers. The organization claims that despite meetings of Selection Board One and Selection Board Two being held, teachers have been deprived of promotion to the next grade, for which the department is directly responsible.

SPLA leaders, describing the situation as the “height of incompetence,” said that posting orders for Chief DPs and Chief Librarians promoted to Grade 19 have not been issued. They also revealed that the minutes of the DPC held for DPs and Librarians have not been issued even five months after the meeting.

Adding to the teachers’ grievances, the long-standing demand for a five-tier formula for career advancement has been completely ignored. This is despite the Sindh Education Minister’s clear announcement in support of this formula on the floor of the provincial assembly.

The statement painted a grim picture of the dilapidated condition of institutions, claiming that colleges are “turning into ruins.” Due to a shortage of support staff, including peons and sweepers, students are allegedly forced to take classes in unhygienic conditions.

A SPLA delegation will meet with the Secretary of Colleges today (Monday) to formally present its concerns. Following this meeting, the association’s high-powered committee will meet on Thursday, January 8, to finalize its protest strategy.