PISES administration ‘clears the air’

Administration refutes accusations of corruption, malpractices.

ISLAMABAD:

The management of Pakistan International School Sulaimaniya, Saudi Arabia (PISES) has denied the allegations of corruption and malpractice levelled by parents of some students against the school’s management.

In a statement sent to The Express Tribune, PISES Vice Principal Muhammad Tanveer described the allegations in a news report published on February 9 issue as “baseless and false”. He added, “PISES is one of the top schools and provides quality education to students.” The external results produced by the school over the last three to four years reflect the high standards it has attained, he said.

The student strength has doubled at the school from 1,000 to 2,000 over the past three years. Just this year, more than 400 students were admitted and a large number could not gain admission due to shortage of space, the statement added.

The current school management committee (SMC) was formed by the Pakistan Embassy in consultation with the Saudi ministries of education and foreign affairs. The SMC, according to an official, is a legal body with a mandate to govern the school and has performed its role as per rules and regulations. Moreover, the statement also denied accusations of misappropriation of school funds or financial irregularities. The former principal of the school had raised the same accusations and eventually had to submit a written apology in a court, it added.

Justifying the tuition fee hike, the VP said it was revised fee for the first time since the establishment of the school in 1995 due to inflation. “The tuition fee is still less than other schools of the same standard,” he said.

On the other hand, a number of parents who had approached the Pakistan Embassy in Saudi Arabia and the Foreign Office in Pakistan maintained their earlier stance, saying that they have no say in the affairs of the school.

“The school belongs to the community, but parents were never consulted, not even when new teachers were being inducted,” said a disgruntled parent. He said that controversial appointments were made in the school, to which Tanveer replied that the appointments in question were made during former principal Dr Shakeel’s tenure.

To address their concerns, parents of the students have approached the foreign office and the Pakistan Embassy in Saudi Arabia. They have demand the removal of the illegal SMC and the undertaking of an independent audit of school funds.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 6^th, 2012.