December 05, 2007	Wednesday	Ziqa'ad 24, 1428

RAHIM YAR KHAN, Dec 4: The students of a state-run college in the district are bearing the brunt of mismanagement and absence of teachers and other officials.

Shortage of teachers tops the long list of problems the students have been facing at the Khawaja Fareed Government Postgraduate College which, they say, is causing a great loss to their careers.

Information obtained by Dawn revealed that the teachers appointed at the college took classes in private institutions during the regular college timings, depriving the students of education.

A group of eighty-three students had recently aired its grievances (including complaints against the principal and the administration) outside the offices of the district nazim. They also submitted a written application to the district coordination officer, the district and tehsil nazims against the unavailability of lecturers.

Established in 1954, the KFC, as the institute is popularly known, won recognition and introduced many disciplines from time to time. As many as 4,500 students are currently on the rolls but to their dismay, twenty-three of the 98 posts of lecturers are vacant. The all-important post of the chief librarian and the only two posts of health and physical education have been lying vacant for the last six years.

There are 73 sanctioned posts of non-teaching staff and only 44 appointments have been made from time to time. A few years ago, master’s in economics, political science, English and Urdu was launched and a separate computer department established.

With the mushroom growth of private educational institutions and academies offering intermediate classes and computer science courses in the last decade, the KFC faculty found opportunities to make a fast buck by lecturing at various colleges. As a result, a number of students turned to private institutions and the KFC college lost its charm for them.

He who gets admission nowhere finds a place at the KFC has become a popular slogan among the people.

The college principal, Prof Dr Haji Wali Muhammad, delivers lectures in the subjects of Islamic Studies at the Islamia University’s sub-campus from 9am to 11am, giving scant attention to the alma mater.

Many are the professors who teach at private institutions and the IU campus also. Interestingly, the private colleges do not mention the names of the KFC teachers on their time-table.

It is learnt that some of the academics spend time in side businesses. A statistics teacher runs his medicine distribution company and allegedly visits the college only when he has to collect his salary. The professors of economics and political science are constantly on examination duties with the consent of the principal, leaving the students to suffer.

Some teachers told Dawn that the principal was not eligible for this administrative seat. Dr Wali Muhammad, they said, joined the college as a temporary instructor for the teaching of Islamic Studies in 1985. Two instructors were appointed on a temporary basis for the promotion of Islamic Studies at the KFC and Wali Muhammad was one of them, they said.

Later, he was selected as a lecturer with the blessings of a senior Punjab minister, they said, accusing him of hurling threats at the teachers about their transfers. They said the principal appointed a lecturer to head many college committees like library, college function, purchase, scouting, prospectus, printing, sports and hostel to oblige him.

In another case, he gave his official residence to a grade-17 lecturer in violation of rules. Besides, he appointed four work-charge employees last year and all of them were his relatives, alleged the teachers.

Among other irregularities that came to the surface was the charge of embezzlement of mosque fund for which each student has to pay Rs240 every year.

Principal Haji Wali Muhammad told Dawn that he joined the service as an ad hoc lecturer and then in 1998 he was selected as an associate professor in grade-19 through the Public Service Commission. He said some professors were trying to hatch a conspiracy against him as “they want a new principal of their choice”.

He said he had no information about the lecturers serving other institutions during duty hours. “Our professors are not schoolteachers and they should be responsible and are bound to be punctual and dutiful. However, they can teach whenever they are free”, he said.

He said he himself delivered lectures at the Islamia University’s sub-campus because it was on the premises of KFC.

As for the objections to his official residence, he said: “I have sent the detailed answer to the department”.