Vacuum: ICU students protest teachers’ absenteeism

Administration says expired teaching contracts to be renewed

PESHAWAR: Students of Islamia College University (ICU) Peshawar protested against the administration for its failure to resolve the issue of staff and teacher absenteeism. They said on Wednesday Islamia College staff and teachers had abandoned college students for the university ones.

Plight of students

The first and second-year college students left campus and continued the protest on Jamrud Road. They blocked the main road, hindering all traffic for an hour. The students chanted slogans like “Go VC Go” and blamed Vice Chancellor (VC) Ajmal Khan for diverting all focus from college affairs to the university. They said they had not seen their teachers in class in a long while and their time was being wasted.

Talking to The Express Tribune, second year student Haris Jan said, “Our teachers have not come to take classes since several days. It’s completely disturbed our routine.” He added when they took the matter to the administration, it suggested using various tactics but none of them was aimed at seeking a permanent solution to the problem.

The students threatened to close the college and the university if the issue was not resolved immediately.

Plight of ICU

An official of ICU Peshawar, requesting anonymity, explained there were around 45 contract-based teachers in college at present. “Their contracts have expired and ICU has not extended them yet,” he said. “Since the teachers’ Rs800 per extra evening class has been decreased to Rs500, they have boycotted the classes.” The official added this caused the students to suffer who complained to the administration but to no avail. “This protest was inevitable,” he said.

When contacted, ICU Peshawar Registrar Professor Dr Sarear Bacha said the VC had called a meeting and also issued a notification to teachers, extending their contracts for another six months. “ICU has a shortage of teachers currently and we have published an advertisement for new teachers,” said Bacha.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 8^th, 2015.