ISLAMABAD - Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training has blurred the promotion criteria for Secondary School Teachers (SST) criteria which has affected the seniority of around 1500 male and female teachers in the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) institutions, The Nation learnt on Thursday.

Documents available with The Nation said that the re-consideration of the promotion of the upgraded SSTs (BS-17) after abolishing of Trained Graduate Teachers (TGTs) (BS-16) post has affected the seniority of around 1500 male and female teachers. 

Meanwhile, the staff later promoted to SST was being considered for the promotion neglecting the seniority of TGTs. 

The documents said that around 1500 TGTs were upgraded to SST in BS-17 on 01-01-2011, while around 35 employees were recruited/upgraded from DHM and Head Masters (HM) posts to SST in March-May 2011 and August 2017.

Officials said that there are around 50 vacant posts of Vice Principals (VPs) in BPS-18 and senior SST deserve the promotion, however, senior teachers would be neglected if the seniority from date of joining and up-gradation is ignored by the ministry of FE&PT. 

“Neglecting the promotion criteria is likely to create a clash of seniority and the ministry will face resentment from the senior SST teachers including facing court cases,” said the official. 

The documents available with The Nation said that the Prime Minister (PM) office in 2011 had upgraded the posts of teachers working under the FDE from 01-01-2011. 

Later, few of the later recruited employees contested the seniority and the matter was taken to Federal Services Tribunal (FST) which directed the federal secretary FE&PT to inquire the matter. 

Later, a committee was formed by the ministry to again seek the legal advice on the matter of the promotion from establishment division. 

The Establishment Division in its legal advice said that confusion between the term of up-gradation and promotion has resulted in various anomalies. 

According to the Establishment Division’s letter up-gradation of a post does not mean automatic up-gradation of incumbents. Appointment to the upgraded post will have to be made in a manner prescribed in selection process or approval of the competent authority. 

Additional Secretary Ministry of FE&PT Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani talking to The Nation said that cases of the FDE teachers were due and a committee was formed to give its report on the cases. 

He said that the committee has submitted its report to the secretary ministry of FE&PT and the office will decide it after giving its deliberations.