United we stand: Teachers, civil society vow to fight for varsities’ autonomy

Demand govt take back recent amendments curtailing varsities’ independence

KARACHI:

The recent amendments in the Sindh universities act curtailing the academic and administrative autonomy of varsities were criticised by teachers' associations and civil society representatives at a convention on Thursday.

The Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (Fapuasa) announced that they will not back down until universities' autonomy is restored unconditionally. The event, held at Karachi Press Club, was organised by the Karachi University Teachers Association (KUTS) to discuss problems of all public universities of Sindh.



The public-sector university teachers have for the last two years been protesting against the amendments that allow the provincial government to control the transfer and postings of university staff as well as the admission policy, and the course of studies.



Fapuasa Sindh president Arfana Mallah announced that the autonomy of higher education institutes should be restored unconditionally before April 15 or they will hold their next countrywide convention in Islamabad. "We have been fighting only three amendments since the last three years and have been unsuccessful so far," she said. They presented 12 amendments and an alternative act after the Sindh Universities Law (Amendment) Act, 2013, was passed.

Addressing the teachers who had come in large numbers from far-flung areas of the province, Fapuasa president Dr Naimatullah Laghari said, "University teachers and other stakeholders should be taken into confidence before passing any law and amendments that limit the autonomy of Sindh's universities."

While Mallah said that no funds for research have been given to Sindh University since 2010, Dr Shahnawaz Talpur of Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro also complained about the lack of funds given to universities for research. "We should do research and provide knowledge to our students but how can we do so if we do not have funds for it," he lamented.



He also complained that in any other province, the authority to issue a no-objection certificate (NOC) to a teacher for higher studies or going abroad is with the vice-chancellor but, in Sindh, only the chancellor can give the NOC which takes months.

Talking about irregularities, Inayat Magsi of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University pointed out that, "Illegal appointments are at an extreme high in our university and the people who are not even capable of being clerks are appointed as vice-chancellors and pro-vice-chancellors". The situation of medical colleges is getting worse and the day is not far when doctors graduating from our medical colleges will be worse than quacks, he added.

"Health and education was never on the priority list of the government," said Pakistan Medical Association general secretary Dr Mirza Ali Azhar. Explaining how opening a medical university provides an opportunity for corruption, Azhar said private universities charge an average of Rs800,000 from a student per year, and with at least 500 students per varsity, we are talking about a sum of around Rs400 million per year in fees.

Sindh High Court Bar Association's representative advocate Shamimul Hassan said the bar will stand with the teachers in their fight for autonomy.

"Provincial autonomy exists but there is no autonomy for universities in Sindh," said Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association president professor Ali Murtaza. He pointed out that the government has taken everything in its hands and is appointing every official on their own in the province's universities of Sindh.

Journalist Ghazi Salahuddin said the history of the city would have been different if universities had played their role properly. This convention is the first step for the betterment of the education system and teachers should join hands for the cause against all odds, he added.

The general-secretary of the Karachi Press Club, AH Khanzada, assured the teachers of complete support from the journalists' community in their struggle.

Universities are stuck in between the VC's office and the Governor House which is creating a problem for us," said KUTS president Shakeel Farooqi.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 19^th,  2016.