Karachi [Pakistan], January 13 : The Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association (SPLA) has declared the launch of a protest campaign, urging the immediate implementation of the Five-Tier Formula, along with promotions and related benefits for college educators across Sindh, according to The Express Tribune (TET).
Speaking at a press conference held at Government SM Arts and Commerce College, SPLA Central President Professor Munwar Abbas, accompanied by other office bearers, announced that a province-wide protest movement would commence on January 15 to push for the longstanding demands of teachers.
Demonstrations will be organised in the Sukkur region on January 19 and in Hyderabad on January 21. He cautioned that if these demands were not fulfilled, college teachers throughout Sindh would go on a teaching boycott on February 9, followed by a sit-in outside Bilawal House on February 12, TET reported.
Professor Munwar Abbas stated that the prompt approval of the Five-Tier Formula, promotions, and service-related advantages remained the primary demands of teachers, which had repeatedly been overlooked. He expressed concern that even after eight years, the Sindh College Education Department had failed to gain government attention, resulting in a serious decline of educational institutions.
According to the SPLA central president, government indifference has led to colleges deteriorating, with damaged furniture and poor hygiene conditions significantly impacting the learning atmosphere. SPLA representatives also highlighted that, despite the modern IT age, textbooks for Intermediate Computer Science and Commerce are still unavailable, raising serious concerns about the effectiveness of the education system. It was also revealed that a large number of colleges in the province lack permanent principals and Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs), severely affecting administrative operations.
The association appealed to the Sindh government to urgently address the grievances of college teachers, warning that failure to act would result in further escalation of the protest movement, TET reported.