IIUI students are least priority

Studies at IIUI on the back burner
Islamabad, Dec 23: Studies and students are the least priority at International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI) as mostly the faculty members remained busy in accomplishing paid projects of the NGOs using the labs and studios of the university.

It is also a sorry state of affairs that the faculty members are doing all this without the approval of the university management.

Because of paid projects, professors cannot spare time for the students. On the other hand, some faculty members doing PhDs engage their students in research work of their thesis giving them no financial benefit or acknowledgement, it has been learnt reliably.

A lecturer at the university on condition of anonymity said that faculty members under the 'paid projects' of non-government organisations (NGOs) prepared documentaries and research reports by using IIUI laboratories and studios but management of the university could not take action against them because they gave the impression that they were working on the projects of the students. Besides, they also engaged the students of BS, MS and MSc for those projects without giving them any financial benefit or acknowledgment.

Some students said: "During the whole semester, only two lectures of 'thesis proposals' were held and head of the department of media and communication has instructed that thesis should be submitted immediately".

"Most of the time NGOs representatives remain in the office of the head of the department, so students are not allowed meeting him. The administration doesn't take any action just because he and other faculty members are also members of the Academic Staff Association (ASA)," a student said.

An administrative officer said that the management had information about the faculty members who remained busy in doing the paid projects but it could not take action against them because of the association.

Head of Media and Communication Department Dr Zafar Iqbal said that there was no need to arrange lectures of 'thesis proposals' because students had to do research work by themselves. He said: "My office is open for the students all the times." Regarding allegation of paid projects, he said Bahria University had requested him to give consultancy during preparation of studio so he attended their three meetings but he received no monetary benefits from Bahria University.

ASA President Hafiz Bashir denied that faculty members were working on paid projects and using university equipment for them.

Spokesman for the university Muzamil Shah said that the faculty members should give all their attention to the students but it was not in his knowledge if faculty members were doing paid projects.

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Pre-board exam a thing of past in KP
Swabi: Not long ago, privately and government-run schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa used to hold a special test before letting successful students sit the annual board of intermediate and secondary education (BISE) examinations. The practice is no more common, however.

Headmaster of a local government school told on condition of anonymity that the test, also called detention test, was held to stop 'weak' students from appearing in the BISE examinations.

He favoured the holding of the test, saying it made students prepare well for the board examination.

According to the headmaster, by and large, private schools don't hold the test because it annoys parents and slashes their revenues by stopping unsuccessful students from appearing in the board examination.

Of late, students of a government school in Razaar tehsil of Mardan district protested against denial of permission to sit the Mardan BISE examination of 10th grade over failure to pass the detention test. Along with parents, they later ransacked the school and bullied teachers and administration to press for reversal of the move.

Meanwhile, headmaster of a local government school complained of political interference in the posting and transfer of teachers and other staff.

He claimed that low-scale employees and teachers were so politically well-connected that they got heads of their respective schools transferred at will to protect their interests.

According to him, headmasters of schools employ BPS-1 staff but can't transfer them due to rampant political interference.

"If a teacher has strong political affiliation, he/she can't be asked about his/her conduct by head of the educational institution," he said.

He headmaster demanded early end to political interference in education system for the benefit of youth. Dawn

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Protesting employees block QAU bus service
Islamabad: A large number of students of the Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) were not able to reach the campus on Thursday due to the forced stoppage of bus service by the Employees Welfare Association against removal of a university employee who was allegedly involved in thrashing of a bus driver.

The termination of bus service was a result of a call by the QAU Employees Welfare Association that has been pressing the university administration to restore employee Hassan Shah who has been removed from his post in line with the findings of an inquiry committee that found him guilty in a violent incident.

Mehwish Hasan, a female student who reached the university using public transport, said the Employees Association members do not have any right to paralyse the university. "If they have some demands they should negotiate with the administration instead of creating problems for the students," she said.

The bus service was also not available in the daytime and a number of students were seen waiting for private vehicles to get to their homes. "I have been waiting outside the 'Babul Quaid,' the main entrance, for last two hours for public transport but even cabs are not available due to rush of waiting students," said Nazia Bukhari, another student.

According to a statement issued by the Quaid-i-Azam University, the university administration has imposed the major penalty of "Compulsory Retirement" upon Syed Hassan Shah, Driver (BPS-5), on December 16, 2011.

The statement said Hassan Shah remained undisciplined throughout his service career and was also charged in the recent past for a scuffle in which he assaulted a bus driver with the help of his group members.

It said the Review Inquiry Committee minutely examined all relevant record and also re-investigated the matter after which it recommended punishment to Hassan Shah that was involved in the scuffle with the bus driver.

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Debates at Beaconhouse
Rawalpindi: English debate competitions were held at the Beaconhouse Primary Branch, Peshawar Road, in which students impressed the audience with their thought-provoking points. Intersection English debate competitions were held amongst the students of classes IV and V respectively. The topics for the debates were 'Are we a nation? and 'Money makes the world go round.'

Speaking on the occasion, BPB Senior Mistress Saima Rehman said that debate provides confidence for public-speaking. It encourages healthy competition among students. It also requires extensive research from books so that students prepare well for the topic and listen to other views as well. It is an annual event in which students actively participate with enthusiasm. Teaching students regarding debates provides them with necessary skills at a young age so that they are equipped with necessary tools for the grooming of their overall personality.

Class V: First prize: Aieza Ali Khan (V-H), 2nd prize: Mariam Imran (V-G), 3rd prize: Zahra Ali Haq (V-B), 3rd prize: Muhammad Maarij Zeeshan (V-A), consolation prize: Muhammad Mursab Majeed (V-D), consolation prize: Omar Qasim (V-G), consolation prize: Sabeen Sibtain (V-B), consolation prize: Wafa Atif (V-D.

Class IV: Eeman Fatima (1st position), Mian Muhammad Ibrahim (2nd position), Kashan Riaz, Ali Abdullah, Samar Bakhtiar (3rd position). Consolation prizes were given to Hussain Khan and Shameen Akbar.

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BEC holds'A' Level investiture ceremony
Islamabad: The newly inducted BEC 'A' Level Student Council for the session 2011-2012 took oath in an impressive investiture ceremony at the Beaconhouse Educational Complex, here, says a press release.

Rector NUST Lieutenant General Muhammad Asghar was the chief guest in the ceremony. Danial Kasuri, Executive Director Beaconhouse Group, Safia Cassim, School Group Head, Fozia Rizwan, Academic Head of the School Group, Saman Imtiaz, Regional Communications Manager for Beaconhouse North, and senior staff members of the Beaconhouse attended the ceremony.

Senior Master BEC A Levels, Awais Chaudhry, took oath from the Student Council. BEC A Level Student Council is headed by head boy Ibrahim Shahid, head girl Mehr Zia, deputy head boy, Saad Riaz and deputy head girl Fatima Sharif. They head a council comprising student societies and clubs focusing on areas like sports, drama, literary, art, science, event management and IT.

The new student council and societies took their places on the stage and were presented with their respective sashes by the Rector NUST. He urged members of the student council to fully understand the critical aspects of the ethos, pathos, and logos of education. Parents of the students, senior staff and faculty members also attended the ceremony.

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Swat BISE cancels school's affiliation
Mingora: The Swat Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) on Thursday cancelled the affiliation /registration of a private school due to contempt of court and asked the district administration to act against the school in question.

Sources said the BISE through a letter said that the school administration did not respond despite repeated intimations and a show-cause notice about implementation of the Peshawar High Court decision about fee waiver for siblings.

The notification said the City School did not heed the PHC orders to give relief to the parents having more than one son or daughter in the school. The BISE circulation asked Swat's district coordination officer and the district police officer to close down the school as its registration had been cancelled, the sources said.

The sources said a resident of Swat Dr Inam in a written complaint informed the BISE citing the PHC decision and the refusal of the school administration to provide relief in the fee to the parents having two or three children in the school.

Upon the complaint, the Swat City School administration expelled the three children of Dr Inam to victimise him for the complaint he had lodged against the school, the sources added. Parents of the students receiving education at the school expressed grave concern over the cancellation of its registration at the peak of the academic session and close to the annual examination.

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Fata schools: corporal punishment banned
Peshawar: The Fata Secretariat has imposed ban on corporal punishment in all educational institutions of the tribal areas.

The document that was approved and signed by secretary administration and coordination of the Fata Secretariat, Muhammad Abid Majeed, barred physical punishment in private, public formal, informal and technical educational educations in the tribal areas.

According to an official communique, proper monitoring and redress mechanism would be followed and implemented at the level of every tribal agency. "Any misconduct found will be penalised under the relevant laws," it said.

The document said a child had the right to be shown respect to her or his personality and individuality and should not be made subject to corporal punishment or to other humiliating and degrading treatment. The directive said that the ban on corporal punishment should be implemented strictly in letter and spirit.

It called for putting in place monitoring and grievance redress mechanism to enforce the ban. "The monitoring mechanism will stand established both at the directorate of education and directorate of technical education level in coordination with offices of agency education officers in the agencies and Frontier Regions," it added. The news

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