Women Teachers

Published by VIEWPOINT (Lahore January 29, 1978)
Written by Muhammad Tufail Mirza

A great deal of space in the daily papers and periodicals is devoted to women teachers' problems. Probably not a single day passes when we do not learn about their poor plight.
The men teachers get their problems resolved with a little moving about. But the women teachers fail even to receive their salaries in time. The are treated brutally by the male clerical staff. We are, perhaps, not conscious of the obligations which drive our mothers, sisters and daughters to travel miles to educate our young generation. After a month's hard work when they find their purses empty as ever, it is natural for them to get frustrated and discouraged.
The Education department is meant to ensure smooth working of the educational institutions under its administration. This is the responsibility of the teachers and not the clerical or executive staff. Part of the task of the secretarial staff is to arrange payment of emoluments to the teaching staff.
The second factor responsible for delay in the disbursal of pay and other amounts is the appointment of fresh and inexperienced headmistresses fail to prepare bills and submit them in time.
Some of the problems the women teachers in Lahore are facing include the following:

1. They have not yet received their December pay. The excuse is that their service books are not complete.
2. Teachers of grade 8 and above have not received the dues for the month of June 1977.
3. The have not received the arrears of their teaching allowance for September 1976 to April 1977 (Eight months).
4. Recreation allowance for the year 1977 has not been paid to them.
5. The arrears of enhanced allowances (House Rent, Transportation and big city allowance) have not yet been paid. 

These are only a few irregularities I could find. The matter does not end here. A serious probe will reveal a lot more.

By Muhammad Tufail Mirza.