Balochistan Point Voice of Nation
Sami Parvez
In present day Balochistan, every section of the society has to collectively protest and struggle for their rights. The failure of government machinery has forced people to use protest as the last available tool to press for their tights. As a result almost people from different walks of life have formed their unions. However, Private school teachers in Balochistan are still not allowed to form their associations by the school principals.
Everyone has the right to from an association to collectively protect his rights. If Private school principals themselves have an association as Private School Association (PSA) then why private teachers don’t have the right to form their own association? If uneducated people such as Suzuki union, Rickshaw union, local buses union can have an association then why private school teachers can’t have a union?
In September 2013 Private school teachers in Turbat made an association which was called Private School Teachers Association (PSTA). Principals of private schools didn’t like the formation of PTSA. As a consequence three teachers were dismissed from their jobs within a month.
According to Constitution of Pakistan’s Article-17 Freedom of Association; “everyone has the right for making an association.” Then why private school teachers don’t have the right to make an association. Private school principals need to answer that why they dismissed three private constitutional teachers whose only fault was that they exercised their constitutional right.
Moreover, PSTA members didn’t do anything wrong and only issued few press statements and demanded for their basic rights. There is no plausible reason that can be used by the School Principals to justify the dismissal of three teachers in Kech district.
Private school Principals in Balochistan in general and in Kech district in Particular need to acknowledge the basic rights of the teachers. They need to allow the teachers the right to form their union. If the Principals don’t change their inflexible attitude and prevent private school teachers from making union then it would be violation of the constitution. In such a case, government of Balochistan and judiciary needs to take notice of this unconstitutional behavior of the school principals.
All social workers in length and breadths of Balochistan need to support Private school teachers in struggle for their rights. Private School teachers work harder than government school teachers but still get paid meager amounts. Private school teachers are backbone of quality education in Balochistan. Therefore, every social organization working for education needs to support them.
Published in The Balochistan Point on March 17, 2015
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article are those of the author and The Balochistan Point not necessarily agrees with them.
