By Sudhir Ahmad Afridi
KARAK: In a sweeping and contentious decision, all 800 primary school teachers in the Karak district have been suspended for participating in protests, escalating an already tense standoff between the educators and provincial authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The move, formalized through an official notification from the District Education Officer (DEO), has drawn public scrutiny and amplified concerns over the region’s approach to handling dissent within the public sector workforce.
For the past four days, teachers have rallied in Peshawar, raising their voices against the privatization of primary schools and calling for long-sought upgrades in their roles. These protests reflect deeper frustrations over stagnant pay scales and inadequate working conditions. The teachers argue that privatization threatens job security and that the government has failed to address their demands for fair compensation and career progression.
The movement has gained traction, shedding light on a persistent gap between public sector pay structures and the challenging conditions teachers face. In response to these protests, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Finance Adviser, Muzammil Aslam, has issued a warning, announcing that participating teachers would face wage deductions for each day they were absent from their classrooms due to the protests. Aslam highlighted the difficulties in implementing a blanket upgrade for approximately 200,000 teachers across the province, citing logistical and financial constraints.
While he acknowledged the teachers’ right to protest, he emphasized that these actions should not disrupt classroom instruction, hinting at broader consequences for those who persist, including potential impacts on pensions and other employment benefits. The mass suspension of teachers has sparked significant debate, with some viewing it as a heavy-handed tactic to quell legitimate grievances.
