Punjab students' protest | UET convocation
Punjab students', teachers' protest
Lahore, Dec 14: Wednesday's raid by students
and teachers on the Punjab Assembly sent out different messages to
different people. To those who measure general security on the basis of
the security available to our lawmakers, the charge was a shocker. How
could the police allow a smallish group to penetrate the safety cordon
and come close to striking at the lawmakers? To another set of
observers, though, the most remarkable aspect to the episode was the
violence with which the police eventually blocked the protesters. The
protesters were also not averse to a fistfight or two or to burning down
a few vehicles, but the police action most certainly betrayed the guilt
of a force that had reacted late and which then over-compensated for
the delay in typically brutal manner. The protest conveyed at least one more message, and loudly. This
demonstration against autonomy to 26 select Punjab coll- eges was an out
and out Jamaat-i-Islami show. Islami Jamiat Tulaba, the students' body
allied with the Jamaat, was the only one allowed to prosper while a ban
was long placed on student unions and they are the only ones visibly
upset with the changes unfolding in the educational system in the
province now. These changes are far too many involving, for instance,
controversial decisions such as a shift from the current two-year
bachelors' programme to a four-year BA honours degree. We haven't quite
heard what non-Jamaatis have to say on the subject simply because such
an entity doesn't formally exist on the campuses. The promise of revival
of the students union Prime Minister Gilani had made in his inaugural
speech in March 2008 is still unfulfilled. Consequently, there are no
organisations around to either join the IJT in this quest or to oppose
it. Their opposition to or support of the IJT here could have helped
greatly in rationalising the issue and in seeing it as a real problem of
the students at large. In the event, the current protest against
autonomy for colleges is liable to be seen as a campaign by a body that
shuns any and all changes on the campus by an administration it is not
fond of.
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Torture of teachers: CJ orders case against accused policemen
Lahore: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry
ordered on Monday registration of a case against the policemen involved
in assault on teachers/professors during their protest outside the
Punjab Assembly building a few days back. The chief justice issued the direction when he was shown a newspaper photograph wherein the policemen were torturing a teacher.
The court also allowed the owner of a private bus, burnt by students, to be a party in the suo motu case.
The chief justice also summoned all stakeholders on Tuesday (today)
to settle a dispute between the government and the Professors and
Lecturers Association on the issue of the proposed introduction of
boards of governor (BoGs) in educational institutions of the province.
He also directed the PLA president and other office-bearers to submit
a written statement clarifying as to why teachers took students to the
Punjab Assembly where they ransacked the public and private property.
The chief justice also summoned the Punjab education secretary to
explain the matter in depth that caused unrest among teachers on the
BoGs issue.
Earlier, DIG (operations) Rao Sardar submitted his report about the
incident. Additional advocate general (AAG) Hanif Khatana read aloud the
report which said that neither the IGP nor any other high official,
including the DIG, had ordered torture on students despite the fact that
they forcibly entered the assembly gate and broke security desks.
The policemen and security guards took the action against students
and teachers only to ensure security on the premises which could not be
compromised in any case, he said.
Arguing on behalf of the Punjab government, the AAG told court the teachers had used students for their vested interests.
He alleged that since most of teachers were running private colleges
and academies they feared that BoGs could stop them running such private
institutions/academies.
To a query, he said there was no loss to students because the government had no plan to privatise colleges or raise fee.
When the counsel for the PLA asked the AAG whether he could give
undertaking for not increasing students' fee, he (AAG) said he needed to
take instructions from the government in this connection.
The PLA president through his counsel assured the court that he would also submit his written reply on Tuesday (today).
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UET convocation: Unpopular decisions in national interest: Gilani
Lahore: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Saturday the government was taking unpopular
decisions to take the country forward. Speaking at the 19th convocation of the University of Engineering and
Technology, Gilani underscored the need to take on the challenges and
earn a respectable position in the comity of nations.
Saying that successive governments failed to strengthen institutions,
he claimed the present dispensation's governance strategies including
devolution would strengthen the federation. He said this year had been
declared "Education Year" and he had dedicated most of his time to
education and health sectors.
He lauded the UET for enhancing students' enrolment and imparting
quality education to meet the growing needs of the industry. Referring
to UET students' volunteer work in the flood-hit areas, Gilani said he
would extend full support to the committee constituted by Governor
Salmaan Taseer.
Later, the prime minister told reporters that foolproof security
would be ensured during Muharram. He said he would again contact Nawaz
Sharif before the Reformed General Sales Tax Bill was tabled in
parliament.
"Nothing can be said off the cuff," was the premier's remark in
reference to privatisation of educational institutions. He said student
unions were a provincial subject.
Taseer said nations faced difficult times which help bring out
"people's nationalism". He said Pakistan had stood tall against
challenges and there was neither any famine nor any disease outbreak.
Felicitating Shamsul Mulk on receiving honorary doctorate degree, the
governor said he and Shamsul Mulk share same views on Kalabagh dam.
Earlier, UET Vice-Chancellor Muhammad Akram said the university would
confer 39 PhD degrees, 1,064 MSc/MPhil degrees and 4,823 bachelor
degrees. He said UET was on top among public-sector engineering
universities according to the Higher Education Commission ranking. At
the world level, he said, it had been ranked at 281st number.
He said the Rachna College of Engineering and Technology had been
upgraded as a university and now its case of charter had been approved
by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
The prime minister presented PhD degrees to 39 scholars including
Associate Professor Masood Ahmad who was honoured posthumously. The late
academic's mother received the PhD degree.
He also presented honorary degrees to Shamsul Mulk and Akram Sheikh
and awarded gold medals to the position-holders. He inaugurated the
newly-constructed auditorium having 2,500 seats.
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Dozens of UET students barred from convocation
Lahore: Dozens of graduates of the University of Engineering & Technology (UET),
Lahore on Saturday failed to attend the varsity's 19th Convocation where
Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani was the chief guest. The
pass-outs were waiting in queue outside UET Auditorium Complex, having
security clearance passes in their hands, when, all of a sudden, the
main entrance was closed at the arrival of the premier, leaving the
students outside the auditorium. Around 50-60 graduates, wearing
traditional convocation gowns, were seen outside the UET Auditorium
Complex, desperately trying to enter the auditorium but to no avail.
They kept standing outside the auditorium until the ceremony ended, and
no one from PM's security or UET administration bothered to contact
them. Talking to the reporters, the angry engineering graduates
said it was unfortunate that they were deprived of attending a precious
event of their lives. They said that many of them had come from far
flung areas and taken leave from their respective organizations with the
sole purpose of attending the convocation. UETians, including
Ayesha, Shahana, M Waqar and Ali, said they were greatly disappointed
owing to the treatment meted out to them. They said the convocation was,
in fact, a very memorable day in the life of a student, adding it was
unfortunate that dozens of graduates had been barred from joining the
auspicious occasion just because of the Prime Minister's protocol. 'We
are not aliens' Shahana said, 'All of us had security clearance passes
provided by the varsity management at the rehearsal'. Waqar said, 'We
have seen politicians come very late but they are never barred from the
ceremonies.'' Ayesha said that, at least, those having proper
security clearance and standing in queues should have been allowed to
attend the event. It is pertinent to mention that the mismanagement was also witnessed inside the auditorium when the convocation ended. The
Prime Minister was still in the auditorium when announcement was made
for students and teachers to leave the hall. This created problem for
media persons who could not properly talk to the premier. The news
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Rise in out-of-school children in 20 UCs
Lahore: The number of out-of-school children in various union councils in Lahore has risen to
an extent that the available public school facilities are simply unable
to accommodate and impart them education at primary level. The enrolment drive conducted by the Jahandad Society for Community
Development (JSCD) in collaboration with Unicef as a part of its Young
Champions Project for Girls Education in Lahore district's 20 union
councils has revealed that the public sector facilities are just unable
to accommodate the out-of-school children. Under the project, some 4,000
children were got admitted in schools.
"As public sector schools lack space in many localities, various
schools' heads are refusing the Young Champions admission to
out-of-school children showing them that there was no space available
for new students," said JSCD chairperson Prof Dr Yasmin Raashid while
speaking at a media consultation workshop at a local hotel on Monday.
Prof Raashid said the JSCD had selected some 200 Young Champions in
all the 20 UCs and trained them to motivate parents to send their
children to schools. She said the society also conducted baseline study
and found that some 8,906 children were not in schools. Of 5,825 3-10
years of age children, she said, the Young Champions had got admitted
some 4,000 children in public schools as well as low-cost private
schools by manoeuvring 50 per cent concession in fees within nine months
that included unusually long summer vacation this year.
She also told the media persons that a largest Christian community
residing in Youhanaabad, Ferozepur Road, had no public sector schools
and the number of out-of-school children there was very high. She said
the Young Champions, however, consulted the local low-cost private
schools and got out-of-school children there on 50 per cent fee. She
said the project also provided uniforms, bags, books and even shoes to
the new school entrants. She said the Young Champions also helped
parents obtain birth certificates from respective UC offices.
She said the Young Champions Project for Girls Education conducted
605 community meetings, 834 monthly meetings with Youth Clubs formed in
each union council. The Young Champions also organised sports events and
street theatres in schools and communities to educate families about
the importance of education and schooling. She said the JSCD also
organised two essay writing competitions for students. She said the
Young Champions had also established one-room Youth Clubs and imparting
vocational training to girls. "The Unicef team has recently inspected
the project and was very impressed with the concept of Youth Clubs and
assured their support to the clubs for the benefit of the poor citizens'
localities," she said.
Stating that many localities had public schools without space for new
children, while some areas had no public schools, Prof Raashid said,
highly motivated Young Champion Jameela Bibi got admitted some 80
children to two government schools â€" one each for boys and girls.
Jameela Bibi told the JSCD team that her Young Champions team had
motivated parents to the extent that they agreed to send their children
to schools despite the fact that they were earning some rupees for the
family. "Now parents are themselves bringing their children to my home
wishing that their child should also be sent to the school," Jameela
said.
This enrolment drive, however, faced a setback when both schools'
administration told the Young Champions that they had no more space for
any new child to be admitted, she said.
Dr Yasmin Raashid said the whole exercise had brought about a
refreshing change in society but it needed to be expanded in all union
councils in Lahore as well as in other districts. Dawn
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