Students slam Langlands college's decision to sack teachers
Report Zahiruddin
CHITRAL, March 18: The leaders of Students Action Forum (SAF) Chitral have demanded of the government to take stern action against the principal of Langland’s Public School for terminating the services of seven teachers of the school without any cogent reason and meeting the necessary conditions.
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, they termed the termination of teachers an arbitrary and willful action of the lady principal who was a foreign national and had taken charge of the institution last year.
They said that the teachers fired from the service had length of service ranging from eighteen to twenty three years and five of the teachers were female and had earned reputation in their career as they were quite popular among their students.
They said that established twenty five years ago, the school was known for its quality education in the district and the students passed from here were serving in higher positions in the country while the incumbent DPO Chitral had also studied here.
The student leaders questioned that if the teachers serving in the institution were incompetent, then how the school earned repute for quality education and even if they lacked ability, then why they were kept in the school for eighteen years.
They said that the incumbent principal since taking charge of the school last year, has started terminating the teachers and this has created restiveness among the teachers as well the students and their parents.
They said that the teachers rendering service in the school for more than eighteen years have crossed the upper limit of age for joining any government service and it was sheer injustice with them to send them on packing with a single stroke of pen.
The student leaders said that the school is being run with the aid of the provincial as well as central government and the incumbent principal had got a huge amount of 120 million rupees from the government as grant in December last.
They appealed to the chief secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to take stern notice of it and order reinstatement of the teachers of the school sacked from their services for their no fault.
چترال (بشیر حسین آزاد) چترال کے معروف اور قدیم تعلیمی ادارہ لینگ لینڈ پبلک سکول اینڈ کالج سے گزشتہ دنوں متعدد اساتذہ اور استانیوں کی ملازمت سے برخاستگی پر سخت ردعمل کا اظہار کرتے ہوئے متحدہ طلبہ محاذ کے رہنماؤں قاضی وقار اقبال، اشفاق احمد ، امتیاز حسین، شیخ رشید عالم شاہ، امیر الدین، فضل داؤد اور دوسروں نے اس عمل کو سکول کی غیر ملکی خاتون پرنسپل شوفیلڈ کیرولینا مونیکا الزبتھ المعروف مس کیری کا غیر قانونی اور من مانی کاروائی قرار دیتے ہوئے اس ظالمانہ فیصلے کو واپس لینے کا مطالبہ کیا ہے ۔
بدھ کے روز چترال پریس کلب میں ایک پریس کانفرنس سے خطاب کرتے ہوئے انہوں نے کہاکہ ملازمت سے برخاست کئے جانے والے ٹیچرگزشتہ اٹھارہ سے لے کر 23سال تک اس سکول میں تدریسی خدمات انجام دے رہے تھے لیکن ان کو بیک جنبش قلم ملازمتوں سے فارغ کرنا ان کے ساتھ سراسر ذیادتی ہے جس سے سکول کے دیگر ٹیچروں ، طلباء وطالبات اور ان کے والدین میں بے چینی پھیل گئی ہے ۔ انہوں نے کہاکہ یہ ادارہ چترال میں معیاری تعلیم کے لئے گزشتہ 25سالوں سے ایک منفرد نام کا حامل ہے جہاں سے فارغ التحصیل اسٹوڈنٹس اب مختلف شعبہ ہائے زندگی میں اعلیٰ عہدوں پر فائز ہیں جن میں موجودہ ڈی۔ پی ۔او چترال بھی شامل ہے ۔
انہوں نے کہاکہ اگر اٹھارہ سالوں سے اس سکول میں کام کرنے والے یہ ٹیچرز نااہل ہیں تو اس سکول کا معیار کس طرح دوسرے اداروں سے ممتاز ہوا ۔ متحدہ طلبہ محاذ کے رہنماؤں نے زور دے کر کہا کہ موجود ہ پرنسپل نے گزشتہ سال سکول کا چارج سنھبالنے کے بعد سے ٹیچروں کو بلاوجہ اور ذاتی پسند اور ناپسند کی بنا پر ملازمت سے فارغ کرنے کا سلسلہ شروع کررکھا ہے جن کی تعداد پندرہ سے تجاوز کرگئی ہے ۔ انہوں نے کہاکہ ملکی قانون اور دستور کے مطابق بھی اٹھارہ سال ایک ادارے میں سروس کرنے اور سرکاری ملازمتوں کے لئے زائد العمر (اور ایج) ہونے والے ٹیچروں کو اس طرح ملازمت سے فارغ کرکے غیر ملکی خاتون نے ملکی قانون کی دھجیاں بکھیردی ہے جس کا سخت نوٹس لیا جانا چاہئے جبکہ یہ سکول سرکاری ایڈ سے چلتی ہے اور گزشتہ سال دسمبر کے مہینے میں اسی پرنسپل نے صوبائی حکومت کی طرف سے 12کروڑ روپے کا چیک صوبائی حکومت کی طرف سے لے لیا تھا۔
طالب علم رہنماؤں نے کہاکہ وہ اپنے ٹیچروں کے ساتھ ایسے ناروسلوک کو کبھی بھی برداشت نہیں کرسکیں گے ۔ انہوں نے سکول کے قانونی مشیر عبدالولی خان ایڈوکیٹ سے استفسار کیا کہ کیا اس طرح کی غیر قانونی اور ماورائے دستور قدم اٹھاتے ہوئے سکول پرنسپل نے ان سے قانونی مشاورت کی تھی اور اگر نہیں کی ہے تو وہ خاموش کیوں ہے۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ اس فیصلے کو اگر فی الفور واپس نہ لیا گیا تو طلبہ برادری احتجاج پر اتر آئے گی۔
Ali sahib according to your logic, only your children are children and the other people’s children are onion and potato, by which rule you are saying that you also admit your children such a school where your children are being given highly standard education in Sayurj Public School? Many students were taught by these teachers last many years, and these all teachers were the founders of this school, and made possible the school to face the modern educational challenges when your daughter was punished by a teacher so it caused to terminate the teachers from school, this is your narrowness of thinking,if this process can be implemented that every person will say this and that teacher can not teach my daughter and son well ,So all the educational institutions will be systematized in your mind ,but in my mind no body can be able to bear and to do his work attentively.my lamentation to you is this one that have you ever been thought that your children are studying and they should be financed by government and only you would be happy, this is your individual ideology, you think to make common people and not highly qualified generation because when you are thinking about your daughter and son singly of course you are trying to destroy to those flowers who are blooming in same garden in same weather spring , this is your jealousness so what is the sin of those people who are admitting their children in other public schools and till now they have never been given a cent of a rupee from government treasury to develop their educational standard,, because they are also the same generation of this nation, if this kind of unequal and injustice happening in education system on inequality bases is given to the innocent generation then what kind of nation this society will create except terrorist. if this is halal(lawful)for your children so this amount of money is also lawful for other excluding Sayurj Public school,also to be given all those educational institutions which are providing qualitative education in different part and places privately in Chitral. It is not honesty that only one school be granted a lot of money and other be neglected in the society. My suggestion is this one that this amount of money which is only given to the Sayurj public school must be distributed all schools to support all those poor families’ s children ,they have capability and ability to bring revolution in our society but due to financial crises can not continue their studies for long time .if this financial aid is also given to them really in future they do hard work for the benefit of the society and country, and we can be able to see different shapes and men in the row of our nation, and this discrimination must be stopped to the development of whole country not only of the children of Ali brother and any other sahiban. But every Pakistani and citizen may be provided this opportunity to read English book and education. The doors of schools should be opened for all. If you are rich you should not say this one that government supports this school to create highly qualified nation because the rich never needs exogenous financial aid , if you are poor so you should care also like your other neighbors, I am not opposing that these foreign teacher should not be there, I appreciate their devotion and dedication but such kind of principal also be provided to those schools where is the same text taught with the same curriculum that every one innocent can survive happily in this society without any discrimination to be successful human.If this practice singly repeated in Sayurj Public School the ratio of highly qualified person will be limited inside this school,the other will be attackers.Major population is unable to admit its children in this school,so it makes disappoint the generations to be creative minded so majority faces a deprivation.
Really this school is a source of create healthy educational nation so why it would not be able to birth any other child in district except Chitral town .Master degree holders Chiltrali talented persons established many colleges up to degree level in different parts of Chitral from Arandu to Yarkhun but Sayurj Public School could not become two from one, still is at that position and same level where it initiated its journey. ‘Daal ma kuch kala ha’…Might is right.
We the parents are paying for quality education and support every step of principal and administration about the improvement in the School and its management. It is fact that there were some teachers who were not supposed to be teacher in that reputed institution. I had complained about corporal punishment and harassment in the junior campus when my five years old daughter refused to go to school due to behavior of one Islimiat teacher.
Well-done Principal, who your are, from where you are, what is your belief, we don’t care, we care about the quality education with high moral values and boosting the confidence of our Children.
When one cannot perform in Government or in any private school must be fired and educated qualified people should be hired in all the schools for the cause of nation building.
Sayuarj public School Needs Severe Accountability
These are the causes that create violation and deprivation in the area of Chitral , that in the stage of retirement those teachers who were performing their duties to dedicating their times and knowledge to nourish the new generation for last two decayed are removed from their temporary services ,Anyone can ask to this principal that so much huge amount of money is given by government of Pakistan and many other donors last many years to run the above named school. Where is the progress of this money? why we are praising these two foreigners principals and do not ask that the students also paying a lot of money in a form of tuition fee ,where is going this big amount of money? Where was used by former principal time to time taken money from politicians and leaders .I ask you all that where is the progress was gained by these two foreigner heads? Because the string of the school never remained in the hand of any Chitrali man or woman. Who will account them? Who will audit them? The input is very big but output is nothing because the money is given to the sayuarj public school without students fee is a big amount and also the highest tuition fee of sayuaj public school as comparing to all public schools in Chitral . The number of students every year increasing ,no any poor father’s child can be admitted in this school. When government grants something to run the institutes then this institutes does not need to get tuition fee from students but this is the unique institute in the map of country it earns from both sides but gives result nil? I will be happy if my comments will be criticized. We never understand these points which are required to develop the minds and society.
Hazrat. You said the number of students is icnreasing day by day. have you ever thought, why? Becasue of the quality and this is teh acheivement of these two principals that they ahve acheived which your tiny mind could not comprehend.
Let me tell you a story. When Langlands brought one corore ruppe for the first time he said, I know, there are people in chitral who will rob me off and eat this money in the name of school. So he set up a Trust with Board of Governors that include Governor KPK, Secretary Education KPK and many other neutral and high ranking officers. They decide where to use the funds and from where funds can be generated. Tan jo paisa faido chay siasato bachen hani aham idarotay ki hatera ispa saf sabaq re asusi, ispa azheli reni, kia no rawe na.
Dear Editor
I have been student of Langlands Public School during the era of Mr. Langland.
The teachers were, no doubt, highly competent and qualified but then there is an entity know as politics, which was clearly at rise during those days. I should mention the name of the then vice principal Mr Abdullah who was a very well qualified teacher but was on top to spread hatred and prejudice among the students by criticizing the beliefs of different sects living in Chitrali,and clearly polluting the young minds who were there to get quality education. He belonged to JUI and behaved like a total extremist freak. I was too young to protest against him in any other way but arguing and that was of no use. I’m sure Mr Langlands knew about his activities and was too polite to take action.
My point is that may be this foreign principal came across such/similar activities and took appropriate action which she held the right to.
اس خبر کی آخری لائن آپ تین دفع پڑھ لیں تو آپکو اس احتجاج اور اسکے پیچھے ہاتھ کا پتا چل جاےگا
First of all I would like to know about this SAF and who are the leaders before I start my argument
Why should students be worried about who is hired and who is fired in a school. Involving students in agitational politics is one of the big problems faced by this country. No student should be allowed to indulge in anything other his/her studies in school. The principal of Sayurj School has done well to undo the damage done by weak and ‘free for all’ policies of Maj Langland. She is known to have instilled discipline in the school and discourage liabilities and free lunchers stuffed up on school expenses. No need to give it any other colour.
It is said that the headmistress says, ” I am being paid for English and not Urdu or Islamiyat so shunt M.A Urdu and Islamiyat and recruit skilled English teachers”. Point to be noted here is that Chitralis have to be essentially skilled in Urdu first and then learn English. For Chitralis first priority is Urdu and Chitral institutions still lacks a skillful and qualified Urdu staff.
Bashir Hussain Azad/Journalist should have obtained view of the school/principle before reporting one sided story. The argument that the Principle terminated their services just for no reason could only be true if the Principle is insane.
Moreover, It is a private school and teachers are private employees and as per their employment contract they can be terminated at any time. The Principle and Administration has every right to appoint any teacher and terminate services of any teacher. I believe some of the teachers might have staged this protest as students of a private school does not indulge in politics like Government colleges. The reported needs to act more carefully, responsibly and with Journalistic ethics.
میرے محترم دوست صحافت کے اصولوں سے شائد آپ اتنے زیادہ باخبر نہیں بات یہ ہے کہ صحافت میں نیوز،رپورٹ، کالم اور فورم میں فرق ہوتا ہے بشیر حسین آزاد صاحب نے رپورٹ نہیں بلکہ نیوز کاسٹ کیا ہے نیوز کے لئے دونوں سائڈز کی رائے لینے کی ضرورت نہیں جیسا کہ اسٹوڈنٹس ایکشن فورم نے پریس کانفرنس کیا اور صحافیوں کی ذمہ داری بنتی ہے کہ اس پریس کانفرنس کو میڈیا میں نشر کریں۔۔۔ باقی رہی بات پرائیوٹ ادارے بھی بے لگام گھوڑا نہیں ہوتا معاشرے کے کچھ اصول ہوتے ہیں جب کوئی بھی کمپنی اپنے ملازم کو ٹرمینیٹ کرے تو کچھ نہ کچھ وجوہات تو بتانا ہوگابعیر وجہ بتائے ملازمین بالخصوص اساتذہ کو برطرف کرنا بنیادی انسانی حقوق کی خلاف ورزی ہوتی ہے اور ایک ایسے ٹیچر جو 18سال تک اس ادارے سے منسلک رہے ہواسکوبغیر وجہ بتائے ادارے سے نکالنا اور ایک ٹیچر کو تین ندن جیل میں رکھنا اخرکسی کو تو اس ظلم وذیادتی کے خلاف آواز اٹھانا ہی ہوتا ہے ۔
. حضرت! خاطر جمع رکھئے کافی کچھ معلوم ہے مجھے. آپ میرے خیال میں ٹی وی اور اخبار یا ویب نیوز میں فرق نہیں کر پا رہے . ٹی وی میں خبر فلوقت نشر ہوتی ہے لیکن پھر بھی وقت کے ساتھ دوسرے سائیڈ کی سٹوری لی جاتی ہے تاکے دونوں موقف سننے والے کو پتا چلیں. اخبار کیلئے آپکے پاس وقت ہوتا ہے اسلئے آپکو ضرور دوسرے سائیڈ کی سٹوری لینی چاہئے تاکے جب آپکی خبر پڑھی جائے تو دونوں سائیڈ کا موقف پتا چلے اور پڑھنے والا خود فیصلہ کرے کہ کون ٹھیک ہے کون غلط. جہاں تک بات آپکے دوسرے خیال کا ہے تو حضرت جنکو ٹرمینیٹ کیا گیا ہے انکو یا تو کوئی وجہ بتائی گیی ہوگی یا پھر انکا کنٹریکٹ ختم ہوگیا ہوگا (اب دیکھیں نہ پرنسپل کا موقف پتا ہوتا تو ہمیں سمجھنے میں کتنی آسانی ہوتی) یا کوئی اور وجہ ہوسکتی ہے (کارگردگی؛ڈسپلن). غیر سرکاری اداروں میں قابلیت اور کارگردگی کی بنیاد پے کھڑے کھڑے لوگ نکال دئے جاتے ہیں اور کوئی انسانی حقوق پامال نہیں ہوتا. اب آخری بات تین دن جیل میں ڈالنے کی .. اپ ذرا معلوم کریں اس ٹیچر نے ایک انگریز استانی کو آجکل کے خطرناک حالات میں کہا کیا تھا ؟
SAF has not given any clear explanation as to the qualification of these teachers other than they have spent umpteen years in the school. Judging from the poor standards in various organizations honestly shouldnt a lot of people be thrown out for more deserving and efficient people. For example didn’t all of Chitral want to throw out the seen Lash hydle inchrge because for years he couldn’t solve Chitral towns electricity problems. Similarly you have a long list of such lethargic people entrenched in every department that slow down development. The world is advancing at a pace purely on merit and we still on safarish. And lets not take away from the students the credit for their very own efforts. How many teachers have influence us barring a few. Many department will perform better if there is a serious effort to clean them up. Good riddance I would say induct good teachers as there is a long list of qualified hard working Chitralis.. Someone has to clean this mess Thank you Madam for leading the way.
We, the Chitralis, the ungrateful creatures on planet earth, must admit that there is not a single school in entire Chitral except Sayurj public school which had tremendous contribution in educating the children of the backward, illiterate, hardliner, conservative community.
The reason it made its mark in the education sector because it had a highly educated foreigner principal like GD Langland. If this school could have been headed by a contractor, a ranker baboo, a retired headmaster, as most of them opt to run private schools as side business, the literacy rate in Chitral could have no different than Nooristan province of Afghanistan.
A good number of Chitrali girls and boys would have been Taliban recruits. They have been promoted to the rank of militant commanders knowing nothing about the modern day world. Another major issue could have been mushroom growth of religious seminaries in the already conservative society. The Chitrali Taliban would have defaced the valley partially if not completely.
The terminated teachers and their sympathizers must not resort to emotional blackmailing to gain sympathies of people. I would also like to warn the private school mafia to stop propaganda against the qualified foreign principal who is striving hard to educate your children by abandoning her luxurious lifestyle.
If the private school mafia feels threatened of the British principal, they should improve their standard instead of making money in the name of education. But this is for sure that not a single local private school owner right from Yarkhun to Arandu can educate a single child they way he/she is being taught at Sayurj.
The hardliners who want to deprive the young generation of their right to education are once again out with their nefarious designs to discourage the foreign qualified principal who is making all-out efforts to educate your children.
If the private school mafia is not reigned in, this is a writing on the wall that this young generation will be serving hot tea, ice-cream, burger, Afgani pulao, pakoras somewhere at Atlique bazaar, PIA Chowk, Chew Dhok, Kurup Risht bazaar, and other towns of valley after some years.
A good number of them will be cab drivers, driving non-custom paid ghogai between Booni to Chitral, Arandu to Drosh, and Garan Chshma to Chitral. A good number of them will be sent to seminaries, while the remaining unfortunate misguided youth will certainly join the militant groups of different political parties like those serving with MQM in Karachi. A stitch in time saves nine.