Islamabad:The Finance Division has come under criticism from teachers after issuing clarifications on the Higher Time Scale (HTS) policy, with teachers insisting that the new interpretation contradicts the very policy the division had originally vetted and approved.
Teachers, particularly the BPS-16 teachers, who have remained in the same grade for more than two decades due to slow promotions, complained that the latest clarification would further delay their eligibility for HTS benefits and undermine the objective of the scheme.
According to the Finance Division, a teacher must first complete the prescribed probation period and the full qualifying service required for a regular promotion before becoming eligible for HTS. As a result, service rendered in lower grades will no longer count towards eligibility, a move teachers say is contrary to the original cumulative service formula on which the scheme was based.
"The Higher Time Scale was introduced to provide financial relief to teachers who were unable to secure regular promotions because of limited vacancies. If the same conditions applicable to regular promotions are imposed on HTS, the scheme loses its very purpose," said a senior teacher from Islamabad.
The Higher Time Scale scheme became effective on January 1, 2011, to provide financial relief to teachers in BS-16 and above who remained in the same grade for prolonged periods due to limited promotional opportunities.
Under the original policy, teachers became eligible for successive Higher Time Scales based on their cumulative qualifying service in the relevant grades. The Finance Division had approved the policy at the time, clearly stating that HTS was merely a financial benefit and would not affect recruitment rules, seniority, nomenclature of posts, or the regular promotion system.
However, in a recent Office Memorandum issued by Finance Division in response to queries from the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, the Finance Division described HTS as a secondary financial benefit that could only be granted where regular promotions could not be made due to the non-availability of vacancies.
President of the Federal Government College Teachers Association Akram Khan Khosa termed the latest clarification surprising, saying it was inconsistent with the original policy approved by the Finance Division itself.
He added that the cumulative service formula was the cornerstone of the HTS scheme and could not be altered through a subsequent clarification. “We will take up this issue with the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training and the Finance Division.”
Khosa urged both the Education Ministry and Finance Division to withdraw the clarification and restore the original HTS formula. He emphasised that the scheme was designed to recognise long and dedicated service while mitigating the adverse effects of delayed promotions, rather than making HTS subject to the same conditions as regular promotion.
