The Teachers' Vote and Qasim

The Association for Teachers’ Link has again got back at the government for continuing to fund for various establishing various agencies and new high-salaried posts. They are saying that, despite the government’s claim of not having funds for non-budgeted items, it is continuing to fund projects with an obvious political motive.

The teachers’ frustration is understandable. As we have seen in the teachers’ strike earlier this year, they also hold immense power and support in the society. It was interesting to see how even parents (apart from a handful of powerful politicians) supported the teachers’ pleas during the strike. I wonder how the teachers’ frustrations would have an impact on the coming election. Who, among the presidential candidates, would be in the good books, or more importantly in the “black list” of teachers? Maumoon, undoubtedly would not be a popular candidate among the revolutionary teachers’ group. What about Qasim, who was the Finance Minister during all this turmoil? Would the premise that he was in charge of the budget during that time prove to be a disadvantage for him during the election?

However, it is also true that Qasim has personally helped many a teacher throughout the country to get higher education, etc. His foundation has sent many in the education sector abroad for training. Would this be enough for him to gain the much needed support of teachers? If not him, who, among the candidates, would teachers see as a true reformer who would help them?