While in Pakistan, the culture strongly emphasizes respect for educators and educational institutes, the actions of educational institutes are seldom questioned. We now have Avicenna Dental College and their blatantly exploitative practices which went viral over the weekend.
With the recent death of many students in educational institutes due to administrative negligence or policies, people are calling for educational reforms. Given this prevalent mood, Avicenna Dental College really set the worst example as it looks like they’ve been extorting students (like a mafia).
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Have a look at the fines imposed on students:
Deleted the previous tweet on this to minimize giving out details. But basically Avicenna Dental College is not only extorting students like some mafia but also enacting terrible physical punishments over trivial matters. Our educational institutions are fkn psycho. pic.twitter.com/6tNvspzLQi
— Ahmer Naqvi (@karachikhatmal) October 12, 2019
The college fine policy is certainly excessive. To add to that, students aren’t allowed to take their final exams if they fail to pay the fines before the end of the term. The payment is made to the administration rather than via the bank.
Is This A Deterrent or Money Minting Operation?
It is often argued that administrative policies like this are meant to ensure students regularly attend classes. Encouraging learning does a better job of that with positive reinforcement.
This excessive fine policy just makes it looks like the college is swindling money every chance they get.
Besides the monetary exploitation, the college also administers physical punishment, which is illegal since Pakistan outlawed corporal punishment. We expect to hear stories like these from rural schools where the students are fearful and unaware of their rights.
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Avicenna Dental College may have done so because they thought they could get away with it. Who else in their right mind would not see physical punishment of college students as a crime? Given the students are adults, administration of such punishment can be legally treated as battery, assault, and even harassment.
There’s more
It doesn’t end here. The college policies get more abusive as you dig deeper.
Students who fail three weekly tests are included in a ‘Pink List’ (like the FATF grey list). No this isn’t additional tutoring to help them improve their grades, its detention between 3 pm to 2 am.
More details shared by those at the institution and a video of breaking phones https://t.co/m44NKHTFfQ pic.twitter.com/UUQi76uDLQ
— Ahmer Naqvi (@karachikhatmal) October 12, 2019
Not being allowed to leave the college hostel till the Chairman Abdul Waheed Sheikh allows it is akin to holding someone against their will. Preventing parental involvement just makes this worse.
There’s also a lack of off-days rather than the standard 20-24 working days in any educational institution. Not to mention that if the college staff is working over 40 hours a week, that’s a violation of Pakistan’s labor laws and international labor laws.
When educational institutions are comfortable with criminal behavior such as monetary extortion, what would make them flinch?
All this raises the question, how have they not been sued or tried yet? Why do students even enroll there?
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Ye konsi university hai and why are kids even going here?
— Bushra Joyo-Gandhi (@filmyjoyo) October 12, 2019
While initially some students and parents may be unaware of the illegal and tyrannical policies, once they know why not file a lawsuit?
The problem may lie with the fact that in Pakistan people will do anything for a medical degree. The reason institutes such as these get away scot-free is because some folks would rather pay the monetary fines and go through emotional turmoil to practise medicine and dentistry.
Its a sad state of affairs.
