Seven students confirm harassment before inquiry panel in Bahria College incident

CADD fails to suspend teacher despite recommendation by FDE

ISLAMABAD: So far some seven girls have appeared before an inquiry committee of Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) alleging sexual harassment by an invigilator during a pre-medical examination held last month.

The officials conducting the inquiry said ten girls came to record their statements and of them seven confirmed harassment, molestation and coercion

However, while three said they neither experienced nor saw any such incident take place during the exam.



In the last week of May, several students who sat the biology practical exams over three days at Bahria College alleged in viral social media posts that they had been harassed and molested by an external invigilator deputed by the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) to conduct the exam. Following the uproar, the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) and the FBISE launched inquiries into the matter while CADD was requested to suspend the teacher.

So far seven girls have confirmed harassment in their recorded statement while the suspect has denied the allegation terming it a plot against him. The teachers have also stated that the examiner was hardly seen on the boys’ side and all the time he was present with the girls, the inquiry committee member said.

It’s hard to gather all the girls as it was an outgoing batch and maybe some parents are also reluctant to send their children to be involved in the investigations, the member added.

Anyone can share anonymous testimonies on social media but when it comes to official inquiries people prefer not to get involved, he said.



The board also has decided to blacklist the examiner but the final approval is awaited by the board chairman who is out of the country.

While the FDE constituted probe committee is yet to start the inquiry as the college principals were busy in their respective institutions because of the last working day before summer vacations started in June. Besides the principals are also engaged by the Election Commission of Pakistan for the upcoming general elections.

The suspension of the examiner recommended by the FDE to CADD on May 30 is also pending as the CADD is completely out of its depth.

Officials at FDE said it’s been four days still they have been waiting for the approval of the suspension which should have been done immediately.

Former Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Balighur Rehman on Thursday had also asked the CADD to immediately suspend the accused teacher.

CADD spokesperson was on leave while Joint Secretary Education Irfan Anjum also refused to comment on the issue saying he had recently assumed charge.

The division also came under fire in the last federal cabinet meeting for not being able to prepare a proper summary for the regularisation of daily wage teachers struggling for their services to be regularised for years.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 3^rd, 2018.