MIANWALI: Parents have pulled out their children from an educational institute here allegedly owing to the unprofessional and rude behaviour of the principal.

A few days ago, teachers and students of the college observed a week-long strike against the principal. The protest was called off on the request of the Esakhel assistant commissioner with a promise that their issues will be addressed by the college board of governors.

The Cadet College Esakhel is situated in Kot Chandna near an Afghan refugee camp in Esakhel tehsil of Mianwali district. The first batch of students had started its classes only last year.

The teachers alleged that the principal was not regularising their jobs for a year or paying them the salaries promised at the time of recruitment. The students alleged that the principal humiliated them on and off whenever they demanded solution to their problems such as hostel, mess, canteen, etc. All educational activities have allegedly been halted since Friday.

Missing facilities, ‘inadequate’ salaries mar academic activities

Parents and students had jointly held a press conference on Thursday at the local press club and narrated tales of the principal’s alleged misbehaviour as well as inefficiency of the high-ups for ignoring their complaints.

Spokesman for the parents, Rizwan Nadeem, told this correspondent that his two sons were studying in the college. Last year, 105 students were selected for Class VIII through an entrance test and its first session started a month late at the end of April 2017. Whereas, this year, admissions had not even started yet, he added.

He claimed the college building was incomplete and several basic facilities were missing, but it was made functional over public and political pressure. At the time of its inauguration, 12 teachers had been recruited, but all of them quit due to lack of residential facilities. The board of governors then recruited six teachers from the district to fulfil the purpose.

Mr Nadeem said the principal’s rude attitude had also forced 40 students to allegedly quit the college. There were no medical facilities and a gardener, who was himself booked in three theft cases, was running the college dispensary.

He further claimed that the principal was drawing a salary of Rs285,000 a month, while the teachers were being paid daily wages that were paid to BPS-11 to 15 officers. He said all their complaints to the authorities had fallen on deaf ears after which they decided to pull out their children from the college. He demanded removal of the principal, a full-time doctor and adequately paid teachers at the college.

Kabir Khan, who topped the entrance test, said he was forced to leave the college after two months due to regular disgrace and thrashing of students along with abusive language used by the principal.

Teacher Inamullah Khan told Dawn that they had been recruited with a promise of salaries equal to BPS-17 officers besides permanent job letters, but none of this has happened for a year. They were not even provided residential facility in this far-off place.

Principal retired Col Arshad Mahmood Kayani told Dawn that teacher Khan was instigating students to observe a strike although all teachers had been paid their salaries.

Regarding confirmation of teachers’ appointment, he said all the teachers had to appear before the board of governors that would decide their fate, but the teachers were reluctant.

When asked why so many students had left the college, he said: “Some were sick, some suffering from hepatitis and some were mentally challenged.”

The cadet college falls in the NA-95 constituency of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2018

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