Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [Pakistan] October 5 : Teachers and students from government colleges protested in various locations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday against the decision to outsource colleges with low enrollment and the proposal to require an MPhil degree and research work for teacher promotions, as reported by Dawn.
Students gathered on roads while teachers chose to boycott classes. They urged the government to retract its decision to outsource colleges that have lower enrollment, particularly those situated in remote areas of the province.
The government plans to outsource these under-enrolled colleges to the private sector through a Public-Private Partnership model. The provincial government will cover the tuition fees of students in these outsourced colleges, while the private partner will handle staffing and administrative operations. Teachers have also opposed the suggested change to the service regulations that would tie promotions to having an MPhil degree and publishing research papers in their fields, according to Dawn.
In Peshawar, students from Government Superior Science College obstructed the busy Ring Road near Dir Colony, shouting slogans against the provincial administration.
Abdul Hameed Afridi, President of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Professors, Lecturers, and Librarians Association (KPPLLA), stated that the association sent a clear message to the government that it would not tolerate any attempts to undermine the higher education sector or diminish the autonomy of educational institutions.
He commented that decisions such as outsourcing colleges and the proposed service rule amendments are equivalent to undermining the dignity of educational institutions, the rights of teachers, and the future of students, as reported by Dawn.
The teaching community called on the government to immediately withdraw this policy and engage in negotiations to find a permanent solution, warning that if their demands are not met, the protest movement would escalate, as highlighted by Dawn.