A few hundred students of South Point School and College (SPSC) at Baridhara campus in the city staged a protest Wednesday morning at the campus premises to deny the illegal expulsion of five teachers.
The agitating students, also joined by many former students of SPSC, said that it is absolutely unfair of the management to expel the teachers just because some students of the respective faculties failed to pass the higher secondary school (HSC) certificate exams of 2021.
The Principal of SPSC on February 20 verbally told five teachers, three from the Chemistry department and two from the Mathematics department to discontinue duties from March 1. The management neither served any show-cause notice nor did they serve the expulsion letter.
It is widely alleged that the principal of the institution Amjad Hossain Khan is behind such a decision to expel the teachers for no legitimate reason. He has been influencing the top management to take such a decision to shut the voices of the most senior teachers who are victims of the decision. “Why should our teachers be responsible for the students who did not pass the exams? It is the responsibility of the respective students to ensure their successful passing,” said Nahin Aksa, one of the agitating students, adding, Our teachers always act like a catalyst and it is our own duties to study hard and make sure we pass exams.”
Another fellow student, Tabassum said, “All the expelled teachers have been teaching successfully since almost the inception of the Baridhara campus in 2003. If they were not worthy why did the management continue to take services of the same teachers who had successes year after year in HSC and SSC exams?”
“In fact,” said Fyeba Nawar, a college student of SPSC, “It is quite unfair to blame the faculty teachers for such failure of the students who did not study hard and succeed. Under the guidance of the same teachers, many other students (98%) passed with excellent results obtaining brilliant marks. Surely the credit goes to the teachers (expelled victims) who had prepared the students but just because the five who did not pass that does not mean that the teachers are responsible. Such a decision is completely unjust and intended to forcefully remove the teachers.”
One of the anonymous teachers, a victim of the management’s expulsion decision, said “In such difficult times of coronavirus pandemic crisis we had suggested the principal holding models tests before the HSC examinations. But he repeatedly refused to ignore the routine practice which is very unfortunate.”
A fellow teacher, also a victim, said, “Due to Corona crisis we could not hold lessons on the campus depriving us of closer monitoring and individual guidance. Despite that, we still worked so hard to teach and prepare our students online for the HSC exams. The expulsion decision was taken centering on a trivial issue. Out of a total of 264, only five failed and the management is blaming us for the bad reputation of the institution. Where else in Bangladesh such illegitimate decision of expelling teachers is in practice?”
There are many allegations of irregularities against Principal Amjad Hossain Khan who has a background in defense and no teaching experience. He has been known for picking quarrels with fellow teachers for no reason and he also threatens anyone who lodges complaints about his misbehavior and misdeeds.
“We shall not tolerate such unlawful behaviour of the principal who pretends to be a ‘gentleman’. In fact, we believe he is behind creating such a crisis influencing the management to expel the senior teachers so that no one raises their voice against his misdeeds,” said one of the students.
Sagar, a former student of SPSC said that their agitation programme would continue until their demands to reinstate the five teachers are met. The senior students also said that they would abstain from attending classes at Baridhara campus until the management withdraws their decision.
