Reflecting the moral decline that has crept in the society, teachers and other employees at the University of Karachi (KU) are emulating the negative aspects of it and have been dragging the university into a dark abyss.
There was a time, as recent as in the tenure of VC Dr Abdul Wahab, when the VCs would visit the departments and see if the teachers were delivering their lectures. Currently, despite requests from many well-wishers of the university, the VC refuses to visit the departments.
The permanent faculty, especially the senior professors, manage to bring out time tables that put the cooperative teachers, apparently ‘KU’s beasts of burden’, in the first and second periods while they chill out at their homes within the campus.
Pro VC Dr Shahana Urooj Kazmi, while talking to The News, came straight to the point, “I am very sorry to see the teachers and employees not coming to work on time. I used to visit various departments when I was the dean of the Science Faculty and made sure that teachers start coming to their departments on time. It did work then.” However, Dr Kazmi says that now she is too busy to repeat her success story.
President Karachi University Teachers Society (KUTS) Dr Abid Hasnain condemned the practice of absenteeism among the teachers. “There could be no other opinion about this. Unfortunately there is lack of ownership when work is involved. We own it only when we want to get things ñ salaries, perks, etc. We remind other of their duties while remembering our rights only!” he said sarcastically. Dr Hasnain said that performing their duties well was of ‘prime importance’ but the teachers forget this point mostly. He blasted the lack of accountability culture in the university. “No one is accountable, be it the VC or the peon. KU employees want their rights without realising their responsibilities. The university is lamenting about the financial crunch but money is being spent lavishly,” he further said.
A student at the Science Faculty complained about the lack of interest shown by the teachers. “Sometimes classes are not held because the ‘weather is pleasant’ while on other times the teacher is ‘not in a mood to teach’. Sometimes the senior teachers are sitting in their cozy rooms and do not even bother to tell the students that they will not deliver the lecture. It is very disgusting. We come from far off places in the city to KU and end up facing this dilemma,” he said.
A Cooperative Teacher, requesting anonymity, told The News that she has seen closed class rooms in different departments. “The office would not be opened at 8:30 am and classes, when opened, have the garbage piles and a nauseating smell. It is pathetic. The chairpersons do not bother to look into these matters. They are not in the department before 10:00 am. It is so discomforting. Who will correct this mess?” she questioned.
Meanwhile, the Registrar KU has taken note of the absence of resident teaching and non-teaching staff from their duties during the law and order situation. In a notification issued by him, the registrar has urged the teaching and non teaching staff to start coming to their departments and offices on time
