HYDERABAD: A group of teachers posted at the Govt Nazareth Girls Degree College held a protest demonstration against their principal outside the local press club on Tuesday to intensify their campaign for her removal. Principal Shahida Parveen Abro, in her statement, claimed that the teachers had turned against her since she started strictly implementing discipline at the college.

Led by Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association (SPLA) leaders, the protesting teachers carrying banners and placards raised slogans against the principal and demanded her immediate removal.

Shaista Baloch, Pervez Bughio and other teachers speaking to the media accused the principal of maltreating and bullying the faculty and administration staff ever since she was posted at the college over a year ago. They alleged that she often misbehaved and insulted teachers without caring for the presence of students around. They demanded that either the principal be removed or they be posted in some other college as her behaviour had become intolerable.

SPLA leader Shahjahan Panhwar supporting the protesting teachers’ stance, further accused that the principal of having charged Rs100 each from students and college staff and also having received commission from stall-holders during the Dec 2014 Meena Bazaar held at the college. He noted that there were around 2,000 students and 80 employees at the college.

Principal Abro in her statement rejected the charges and said she implemented the rules and discipline strictly which annoyed some teachers who turned against her. She said the protesting teachers were barred from taking classes at private institutions during duty hours and were made to take their classes regularly and observe punctuality.

She said that the errant teachers were trying to scandalise extra-curricular activities and defame the college administration. Some of them, she added, were insisting that they be allowed relaxation in duty hours to facilitate their MPhil studies, besides being granted permission to bring their children to the college. She said six commerce teachers posted at the college were redundant as the college did not offer this discipline. They did not have anything to do at the college, she said, adding that they were actively participating in the campaign.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2016