Educators await PM’s intervention

Dr Lubna Zaheer

Pakistan’s education sector has been suffering from multifaceted problems for the past several decades. The sectoral problems came after another in every age and the tenure of each government. When an issue comes to the surface, the relevant stakeholders take to the streets and run campaigns for their demands. Sometimes the problem is solved and sometimes it remains the same. It should be tragic that our federal and provincial governments don’t get leisure from political problems. Every government struggles hard to pull the national economy out of the vortex. Matters like defence and foreign policy are also the focus of the government's special attention. The governments are also seen wooing the judiciary and media.

In this situation, the fields of education and health remain on low priority. This is the reason when doctors face any problem, they start protesting outside the hospitals and teachers also block roads and highways for their demands. Although the patients and students have to bear the brunt, but voices go unheard without raising a hue and cry.

Nowadays, the teaching community is extremely perturbed over the federal government’s indication to withdraw the 25% exemption on income tax for teachers. This has created a wave of concern among them. For a long time, teachers have been demanding that the government pay attention to their financial situation and revise their salaries, benefits, allowances etc. Especially university teachers complain that their salaries and other benefits are much lower compared to the employees of bureaucracy, judiciary and defence institutions. They are of the opinion that a person becomes a bureaucrat, judge or a general because of a teacher. So the teacher has the right that his/her salary is not more than these officials, if not equal to them. Compared to these fields, the salaries of teachers are really low and perks and allowances are symbolic. The government has announced to increase salaries of government employees in the budget for the new fiscal year. This increase is insufficient in the context of inflation and if the income tax exemption for teachers and researchers is withdrawn, consider this increase as a negative. The higher the increase, the more tax will be deducted.

This situation will surely increase the difficulties of teachers. If you expect good performance from the teachers, first provide them the financial comfort. How can you expect attention from a teacher to his students and how can you expect any academic and research achievements from a teacher facing financial distress? At one time (probably in 2013), teachers and researchers enjoyed a 75% exemption on income tax. Then the discount was reduced to 40% and later to 25%. Now the government contemplates withdrawing 25% relief from the teachers. The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has expressed concerns over the removal of this tax exemption. It is reported that the HEC Chairman, Dr Mukhtar Ahmed has also sent a letter to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and demanded to restore 75% tax exemption for teachers. A university teachers' organisation has also written a letter to the prime minister.

It is not known who has advised the government to do this new experiment. A few days ago, the federal government had indicated to reduce the HEC budget from Rs65 billion to Rs2b. When the budget for provincial universities was eliminated, there were protests from various quarters. The media raised its voice. When the provincial governments expressed concern, the federal government withdrew this decision. By the time the provinces and universities breathed a sigh of relief, the new story had come to light.

Shehbaz Sharif is the Prime Minister. Some may disagree with him politically, but his past is a witness that as the Chief Minister of Punjab, he took good steps to improve the education sector. Although his main focus was on school education, he kept a close eye on educational affairs. Personally, Shehbaz Sharif is a learned person. It’s strange why such proposals related to education are coming out in his government. My understanding of economics and accounting is limited. I wish an expert in the economy would calculate and tell how much the national treasury would benefit from ending the income tax exemption for teachers. Notably, the government has also imposed a sales tax on books. On the one hand, we cry that the tradition of reading books is dying in our country and the young generation is wasting their time following useless YouTubers and TikTokers and affecting their mental capacity, but on the other, how much would the government fill the national treasury by imposing sales tax on books? Mr Prime Minister, you must take notice of these educational matters.

The decision to cut the HEC budget was also withdrawn on the instructions of the PM. The chief ministers of the provinces also used their influence in this regard. It is still necessary that the CMs should draw the attention of the premier to show mercy to the teacher.

I spoke to some government members who questioned the performance of teachers and researchers, saying the quality of education is continuously falling, stories of research replication are gaining worldwide notoriety and teachers cross all limits to grab key positions in their institutions.

Although their point of view is justified to some extent. However, the question is whether all other institutions including the bureaucracy, judiciary and their employees have exemplary performance. If you want to improve the performance of teachers or put an end to the politics and the culture of getting lucrative positions in educational institutions, you must do it. But don't connect this issue with salaries and tax exemptions at all.

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif must reconsider this decision because of the financial difficulties of teachers and issue instructions to restore a 25% income tax exemption to teachers. If possible income tax exemption should be further increased.

-- The writer is a professor and analyst specializing in media and communication studies. She can be reached at lubna.zaheer91@gmail.com

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