United we stand: Sindh’s universities back call for indefinite strike
The ongoing exams in all these three universities remained suspended on Wednesday.
The ongoing exams in all these three universities remained suspended on Wednesday. PHOTO: FILE
HYDERABAD:
The teachers’ associations of public universities in Jamshoro and Hyderabad have endorsed the call for an indefinite strike against the Sindh government’s actions, which they claim are an attempt to encroach upon the universities’ autonomy.
Faculty members of the Sindh University, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology and Sindh Agriculture University held separate general body meetings on Wednesday to discuss the protest movement.
According to the president of MUET’s teachers’ association, Prof Ahsan Memon, the majority of the teachers approved of the protest, which includes the boycott of all academic activities at the varsity. This will adversely affect the exams, summer classes and paper checking. “We want the chief minister and Governor to consider the demands put forward by the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (Fapuasa),” stated a resolution passed in the meeting. SU’s teachers condemned the provincial government’s attitude towards the institutions of higher education. They rejected the recent advertisement for the appointment of registrars, exams controller and finance director for 20 public sector universities in the province.
According to general secretary of the SU teachers’ association, Dr Arfana Mallah, many teachers also urged FAPUASA to revisit its decision to boycott academic activities.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 29th, 2014.
The teachers’ associations of public universities in Jamshoro and Hyderabad have endorsed the call for an indefinite strike against the Sindh government’s actions, which they claim are an attempt to encroach upon the universities’ autonomy.
Faculty members of the Sindh University, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology and Sindh Agriculture University held separate general body meetings on Wednesday to discuss the protest movement.
According to the president of MUET’s teachers’ association, Prof Ahsan Memon, the majority of the teachers approved of the protest, which includes the boycott of all academic activities at the varsity. This will adversely affect the exams, summer classes and paper checking. “We want the chief minister and Governor to consider the demands put forward by the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (Fapuasa),” stated a resolution passed in the meeting. SU’s teachers condemned the provincial government’s attitude towards the institutions of higher education. They rejected the recent advertisement for the appointment of registrars, exams controller and finance director for 20 public sector universities in the province.
According to general secretary of the SU teachers’ association, Dr Arfana Mallah, many teachers also urged FAPUASA to revisit its decision to boycott academic activities.
“The teachers say that FAPUASA should try to save both education as well as university autonomy through its actions,” Dr Mallah told The Express Tribune. In Sindh Agriculture University, the general body meeting overwhelmingly supported the FAPUASA’s strike call. The ongoing exams in all these three universities remained suspended on Wednesday.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 29th, 2014.