Enough is enough
Over the past couple of months we have witnessed a spate of online and social media criticism of The Langlands School and College and a protest by some teachers in which they involved unwitting students.
Like the overwhelming majority of parents and supporters of the school I am normally silent. Most of us have busy lives and we prefer not to encourage social media nonsense by participating, and possibly adding fuel to the fire.
However, the time has now come for the silent majority to speak. Enough is enough.
My father, the late Wali Ur Rehman Advocate was one of the people who worked to start Sayurj Public School in 1988 with the Deputy Commissioner Javeed Majeed. Late Mr Muhammad Ullah Khan with four others was one of the members of the BOG at that time.
The school was started with three young English ladies and three local ladies. It grew rapidly and Mr Langlands arrived a couple of years later to take over as the second head of the school.
The school was always popular with parents and it has produced generations of successful students.
However, the fact is that the school has always come under attack by a small group of people who were opposed to its ethos and jealous of its success.
For thirty years, people have been trying to organize protests, letters and petitions against Sayurj (now The Langlands School and College). A rocket attack was launched on the Senior School damaging a classroom. Masked men, armed with Kalashnikov, broke into the bedroom of two young English women teachers. The school has always been attacked by a hostile group, and supported by the majority of peaceful Chitralis.
Throughout its history there has been a group who wanted to take control of the school. They have always wanted to dictate appointments and admissions and to seize control of the school’s assets as well as to change the ethos of the school.
And the recent controversy surrounding the school must be understood in this context. Attacks on our school are nothing new. They have been a constant feature of its life, under the first teachers, under Mr Langlands and now with Miss Schofield at the helm.
The very same group that has been behind earlier attacks on the school has played the major role in recent troubles.
Miss Schofield has always said, publicly, that she considers the teachers to be the most important asset of the school.
In 2015, by decision of the Governing Body, the school raised the salaries of teachers threefold and provided generous medical insurance for all staff and their families. At the same time, teachers who were not able to perform satisfactorily were dismissed. These former teachers have agitated against the school ever since.
The school has undeniably improved dramatically under Miss Schofield. Teachers have been monitored closely, teaching methods have been updated, the premises have been better equipped and maintained and pupils’ attendance and discipline have improved. Control of admissions has been centralized. The mood in the school has been transformed.
In a very significant move, over the last three years the Langlands School and College has established the only truly honest Peshawar BISE examination centre where cheating is impossible, in the entire district.
However, earlier this year a group of serving teachers, who enjoyed the high salaries but chafed under the school’s strict rules for teachers, began to try to persuade other staff that they could demand a government takeover of the school.
On this erroneous basis, they persuaded, hectored and browbeat other staff into joining them. In a truly immoral fashion they even agitated among the students, attempting to brainwash them against the school. Young students were told to join Facebook and social media and told to write against their school.
The sacked teachers, the ringleaders of this year’s trouble and some local politicians joined forces against our school.
After last month’s pre-planned campaign every section of The Langlands School and College is now operating smoothly. Out of a total of 54 teachers, 44 are working normally, getting on with the business of providing quality education.
Any small issues, such as arise in every school in the world, can be resolved calmly between parents and teachers and the principal. These should not be exploited to damage the institution.
The overwhelming majority of parents and stakeholders have the greatest respect for Miss Schofield and her team. Most feel that if she were to leave her job they would remove their children from the school.
We have full confidence in the Governing Body and do not wish anyone to interfere with any aspect of the school, its governance or its functioning.
Those people and parties who are trying to damage The Langlands School and College are not acting in the name of the parents or of Chitralis.
Tanzeel Ur Rehman Advocate
Chitral.
Dear Khalil Sahib, the school is important for us. It provides decent education to our children. You have run off to Canada and enjoy the magnanimity and generosity of the Canadian government. Your children can go to the best schools on State funding. We have to struggle to find a good school for our children.
My advise to you like your unsporting advise to Tanzil ur Rehman is to leave the school alone. It has good people looking after it. If they fail to get funding for it and fail to maintain its standards we will appeal to you to come here from Canada. If Madam Carey can teach being an English woman surely Khalil Sahib of Canada has lived for many years in Canada and can teach good English too.
So Khalil Sb have patience and maybe your turn will also come. We will see then whether you are willing to come and teach over here. We will always welcome you.
Mr. Tanzeel khan Could you find some other hobby for yourself in winters ?? Leave the school alone man. why dont you play crickets etc if you don’t have enough job to do in the courts etc . Don’t be Fazlu lala of Chitral
First of all we need to dig out why did sre teachers who, according to sympathizers of the British principal, are drawing hefty salaries, put their jobs at risk by staging protests? A point to ponder!
The second paragraph is a white lie, as majority of the parents are not supporting the principal. A handful of people related to a BoG member including some beneficiaries showed up in a court, and what happened to them is privy to us all.
The school came under attack is none of your business, as we do not want to talk about the present condition of school. We want answer about the money which poured in in millions and where it was spent and why a local hotel owner was paid such a huge sum?
Another issue as you boast of extending support to the British woman without even slightly realizing your support and opposition mean nothing, where had you been hiding when this very British woman was in trouble back in 2015?
The claim of raising the salaries is also hollow as there are teachers who are still darwing below 40 thousand salaries despite working for the school for about eighteen years. The primary school teachers salaries are 18000 and after deduction of Rs 5000 so called bonus, there is nothing left which could be called a handsome package. And this was the reason they all came out in protest in utter frustration.
The claim of improving the school is another lie, as the syllabus prepared by Abdullah, the former vice principal, is still being taught. Deny my claim if you can???
Brainwashing the teachers and the students is yet another joke, as no one can deceive w student or force them to come on roads. Yes you are right, it was carey schofiled who hoodwinked the teachers and the students when Chaudhry Nisar blocked her visa. She used the teachers due to which the studies of the students were badly affected back in 2015. Can the lady deny this???
Local politician is the elected representative of 600000 people of Chitral and he has every right to intervene and call a spade a spade. And this is the reason the MNA is going to challenge the issue in the court and we want it to be settled once for all and cannot allow anyone to consider the school the property of their forefathers. This is the property of the people of Chitral. Got it??
Last but not the least, we have zero confidence on the so-called BoG. How come two people from the same family keep serving as BoG members? Why it can not be reconstituted? Why no one else is made part of the BoG? Why Sirajul Mulk does not quit despite commitment with the people????
Dear Tanzeel,
You are son of a great father and also a Lawyer. I put one question to you which begs answer and so far no one has answered anything. Sirajul Mulk is member of BOG and Miss Carey stayed in his Hotel resulting in BOG approving a payment of more than Rs. 6 milliont o Sirajul Mulk. Isnt this a case of pure conflict of interest where being on the Board of the school Siraj has used that influence to make millions????
Dear Adeeba khair..i appreciate the question you put for a reasonable answer… Hearsay is no evidence.Have you got any substantive piece of evidence regarding the so called embezzlement ..? if yes you can go to the proper forum for adequate remedy.its your right and also consult the principle “UBI JUS IBI REMEDIUM “.
As far as i know madam carey lives in a rented house situated at dolomuch..
It is not Hearsay there is a cheque drawn in the name of Hotel of Capt Siraj. Before sending me to right forum I wanted your opinion like you have written above… If a school’s BOG pays Rs. 5 million to one of their own member what do you make out of it??? How can you be on BOG of a school and also make profit of it… I am asking what is your opinion as Lawyer and concerned Parent of such a shaddy deal?????
How sad that Dr Khalil continues to insult respectable people of Chitral specially the late Wali ur Rehman. Besides being an outstanding lawyer, a good polo player he was an exceptional intellectual. The Deputy Commissioner Javed Majid was not only a friend of his but also respected his opinion. Javed Majid was the founder of the school and still sits on its board of directors. Wali ur Rehman was his advisor and friend and played a pivotal part in inspiring him to initiate the school. Dr Khalil is advised to restrict his abusive thoughts to himself.
Dear Nur ahmad khan..thanks for the words you have wrote about my late father…
Your father did nothing building the school. Every thing happened in front of us, the then Deputy commissioner was the one who started this project, your father used to be a good polo player and a lawyer.
Dr.khalil you may be right…you have got huge brain (e=mc2 )..you remember each and everything…Thanks God you have wrote something positive..
Late Waliur Rehman Advocate established this school but now his son is siding with the British principal despite the fact the people like Abdul Wali khan Abid advocate are fighting the case of the school at a court of law.
The gentleman has completely forgotten to mention how the principal managed to bring back the 54 teaching and non-teaching staff of the school with the help of the Commissioner Malakand Division. Still the remaining teachers are being interviewed in presence of police which is a well thought-out strategy to intimidate them. But keep one thing in mind these are the teachers of the 21 century and soon it will backfire and the police will be in trouble. What the police has to do with the principal if she is interviewing and seeking explanation from the protesting teachers??
Another issue I would like to clear to the supporters of Ms Carey is that she has no background in academia and the way she is running the school, promoting the students who do not pass their annual examinations, and myriad of issues, is NOTHING but PLAYING WITH THE FUTURE GENERATION OF Chitrali students.
Mr Anwar Ali….what you have stated are the same rumors that is prevalent in the illiterate portion of society..i am siding no one but i have to write positively what is right and just, being the prestigious institution my Alma mater, i would verily stand for the defense of my school.through out the course i made questions on modus operandi of the so called accountability.the version of complainant is baseless and concocted.
Dear,my senior mr abdul wali khan even went astray with the complainants in the whole dilemma..just check it yourself how he is fighting the case.sorry to say he is creating more problems for the institution only..it means creating problems to our coming generation…YOU are aiding fuel to the fire again by saying that those teachers will fire back,i am shocked and sorry to say people like you are the ringleaders who are against this institution from long back….I hope those teachers have learned enough and now is the time for them to give more time to our children’s and avoid trouble makers who are trying to change their minds to act in unlawful way…
The “bloody angerzi” used in the article and the comments, is enogh to understand who had WRITTEN the message and sent it out thru the special messenger.
The messenger must have faced issues while writing the comments. Good job, though! Serving the boss quite well. Keep it up. By the way third form of the verb is used after have and had. It’s rule.
Dear Tanzeel Ur Rehman,
Thank you for the great piece of writing. While everyone agrees that the agitation of teachers and students are unjustifiable act as it reflected badly on the entire school, Miss Carey should also realise why teachers and students went to that extreme. She must fill the gap which has been widening over a period of time and ended up with this mess. Merely, high salary does not bring job satisfaction among the teachers, it is the trust and mutual respect of the school principal and the teachers which foster good working environment.
While we all agree that agitation was the worse thing, once it happened Miss Carey was supposed to quit ethically. She must understand that the time is gone when British rulled over 80% of the world and treated others as animals. She should develop a local leadership and hand over the school to competent local leadership. It seemed like she is running the school like East India Company mistreating with the teachers.
There are issues with the teachers and Miss Carey both. Your argument in support of Miss Carey stating everything is good is also unjustifiable. Anyhow you have broken the silence once again, let see what other neutral people (like you and I) have to add to this incomplete story and one-sided reflection.
Mr.Munir Akram…one thing you have admitted that the so called agitation with the innocent mind was pathetic..i leave it..do you know the actual reason behind this agitation ??? why the teachers planned to come on road and chanted slogan against miss carey and administration….???which caused great damage to the image of this prestigious institute….
Now its is not possible in any part of the world to remove or replace the head of an institution without any sold proof against him/her…. Mere Allegations are not enough to take action..one thing i want to add that majority of those teachers are back with written apologies and admitted that they were instigated by few people…If there cause was genuine …then why they were not able to continue the so called drama till fruitful outcome….big question mark…??
Miss Carey has been as sincere in her charge of the school, she was strict in disciplinary matters and also kept her staff well to do. Then why the agitation took place? In my opinion because;
She carried on all matters by own, without consulting anyone.
She remained much strict to teachers that made them lose confidence on her.
In the terms of leadership and headship this is called miss-management.