The writer is the Chairperson of the Department of History, Forman Christian College, and tweets at @BangashYK
More than a decade after most schools — Christian and others — which had been nationalised by Zulifkar Ali Bhutto in 1972, were given back, it is a disgrace that this one institution has yet to be given back. In a number of ways, the current condition of St Francis High School is a textbook case of the failed policy of nationalisation, just as the college I currently work in was till it got denationalised just over a decade ago. When St Francis High School was taken over by the government in 1972, it was arguably one of the best Urdu-medium schools in the city. With its low fees and trained teachers, it had an enrollment of over a thousand pupils. St Francis was also significant since it was the first Catholic school in Lahore and was established shortly after the Catholic mission reached Lahore in the middle of the 19th century. Its placement in the Anarkali area, then and now a major commercial centre, meant that its catchment were mainly the children of the working class neighbourhoods, which had begun to emerge in the vicinity around that time. Therefore, for over a century, the school provided the best source of education for the mainly non-Christian population of the area, which was variously Hindu, Muslim and Sikh.
Today, St Francis High School is a mere ghost of its former self. Its student population is a mere few hundred, the main buildings’ ceiling has fallen in and its grounds — once full of trees and life — give a desolate look. These days few teachers make it to the school and fewer student even bother to turn up. Far from being the educational centre of the Anarkali area, under government control it has become a self haemorrhaging institution.
When I sat down with the parish priest of the area, Fr Andrew Nisari, a few months ago, I learnt that the school’s location is, in fact, its bane now. Where previously the location of the school meant that it was close to working class areas, now its setting in a commercial area is mainly preventing its return. Fr Andrew noted that it has now been over a decade that the Catholic Church fulfilled all the requirements set by the government for the return of the school and even deposited millions of rupees as teacher salaries, etc, but that, to date, the return of the school remains a distant dream. Fr Andrew surmised that the main reason for the delay is that there is a land mafia which wants to encroach upon the property and that is why the school was not being given back. Fr Andrew wondered if elements in the government might be involved with the land mafia, because even after the assurance of the prime minister of Pakistan, Mian Nawaz Sharif, in December 2013, there has been no movement.
It is, indeed, lamentable that the matter of St Francis High School still hangs on. I was told yesterday that even after the protest, no one from the government met the Church leaders and no clear assurances were given as to when the school will be returned. Over a century ago, St Francis School was established by missionaries who had come half way across the world from Europe to work in the extreme conditions of the Punjab. Their aim was to help the children of the region — mainly poor and underprivileged — get educated so that they could create an honourable life for themselves. It is a pity that in Pakistan today, when both our prime minister and the Punjab chief minister have been taught so well at Catholic institutions, a sister Catholic institution is dying and nothing is being done. I just hope that the labours of those missionaries more than a century ago were not in vain.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 17th, 2014.
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COMMENTS (9)
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@reddy I guess u never read it crusaders and co what they done in Europe and south America.. and u guys lucky in india they werenot able to come to u.
@Rex Minor, Islam was spread through sword, at least in the subcontinent. You might wanna learn history from reputable sources.
@Strategic Asset:
Islam brought in its time of glory a piece of enlightenment and a piece of knowledge and the civilisation from the little place regarded today as the cradle of civilisation, the home of modern homo sapiens, towards East and West alike. This is not to say that other Ibrahinic faiths of christianity and Judaism have not brought enlightenment to people before the reformed version under the name of Islam arrived. Nor do I want to belittle the good social work of the christian missionaries.
Rex Minor. .
@Rex Minor: The miissionaries came to our land and gave us the Bible to read, and became very soon the owners and the masters of our country.
Many will say similar about Islam too. People who live in glasshouses better not throw stones at others.
@Rex Minor:
Colonists,Imperialists always plundered whether it is South Africa or India..But missionaries never tried to enslave people instead tried to empower them through education,health care.There may be exceptions as they too are human.In India Christianity came much before it started spreading in Europe(by St.Thomas or Thomas the doubtful)Infact there were fights against European missionaries(Portugese) by local Christians when they tried to impose their practise on local populace.Only very lately they realised their folly.In fact Catholics like me take pride in that our faith is Christian but are Hindu/Indian in culture and custom.
The miissionaries came to our land and gave us the Bible to read, and became very soon the owners and the masters of our country, Bishop Tutu once said something along the lines. The missioneries who accompanied the colonialists to India must have been more sincere to the Natives than those of South Africa.
Rex Minor
It is absolutely condemnable the present state of minorities and their institutions in Pakistan.Being a catholic and studied through catholic institutions i can vouch for the secular and impartial treatment of religion there.In our school where muslims were very few in number there was a practise of letting muslims students take rest during class time in ramzan period.My friends would gladly go and sleep taking full advantage of this gesture.Similarly deepavali was celebrated with fervour just like christmas.Looks Pakistan's present state of intolerance and sectarian violence could have been avoided had there been institutions like St.Francis to promote humanity and harmony above all.In India I can proudly say that no Modi or anyone else could dream of what happened to St.Francis school Lahore as it is an irrefutable right granted in constitution.Moreover most of the Indian leaders including overtly nationalistic(hindutva) leaders too chose to study in catholic institutions.You may be surprised that Bal Thackareys grandson has just graduated.from St.Xaviers college Mumbai.Overall instutions of this nature has a big role in nation building.Hope Pakistan realise its folly before its too late..
There was nothing wrong with the nationalization of schools and colleges which were run by businessmen in an unethical and unlawful ways. My own cousin worked in a private school where she was Rs. 30/month while signing at 250. My sister was working in a school where she was paid Rs. 50/month and she was required to sign on 300. After nationalization they were paid the real salary by the same owners. It is our national character that instead of working hard (after getting several fold raises) and taking pride we abused the freedom and laziness and corruption took the better of us. No matter what the system is unless we are honest and ready to take responsibility nothing would ever work. Teachers are no different they are the reflection of the society.
Perhaps PAK should have nationalized madrases instead.
I cannot comprehend what was the logic behind nationalization of high schools.