Monitoring Desk
LASHKARGAH: Schoolteachers went on strike over not receiving their salaries in the Greshk district of Helmand province.
The protesting teachers in hundreds gathered in Abu Alfateh School in Greshk district to announce their boycott of attending classes until their three months salaries were paid. One of the teachers, Abdul Hamid Khan, told Pajhwok Afghan News that provincial and district education offices were unable to convince them about reasons for the delay in their salaries payment. “That is the reason hundreds of teachers of the district today went on duty strike,” he said.
Juma Gul Himmat, another teacher, said: “The district education director told us he cannot give our salaries of two months due to budget deficit, but this can’t be a strong reason.” He said it was not a matter of budget deficit, but administrative corruption. “Teachers are struggling with economic problems, they have patients in families, they have to give house rents,” he said.
Abdul Karim, another school teacher, said he had been on the teacher post for 15 years but had never received his salary in-time.
He said more than 500 teachers served in Greshk district and the Education Department illegally deducted 60 afghanis from their salaries each month. An official of the District Education Department confirmed 60 afghanis were cut from teacher’s salaries each month. The source said the money cut from teachers’ salaries was used for the education department’s extra activities.
The striking teachers insisted they would continue their strike until their rights were served.
The teachers strike comes only days ahead of the mid-term exams in warm climate areas. Greshk education director, Mohammad Nasar Meer, said teachers salaries could not be delivered due to budget shortage.
“It is not our fault, we share our reports with the provincial education department on monthly basis and the revenue department, it is their problem,” he said.
He said 25,000 students, including 6,000 girls, were studying in 26 schools in Greshk district. Meer asked teachers to end their strike and keep the schools open.
Helmand education director, Qudratullah Yaqobi, said the district education office did not send them necessary documents on time and that was the reason the salaries delayed. He said talks with teachers to end their strike were underway. The unpaid salaries would be paid in the new fiscal year, he added.
Of 304 schools in Helmand, 100 have been shut due to security problems.
