University Student Expelled for Protesting Against Online Classes

Was this even necessary?

usman-student-hec

Students in Islamabad reportedly gathered outside the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to voice their protests against online classes conducted by their respective universities. However, one student, Usman Mehmood, got permanently rusticated (expelled) for raising his voice on social media platforms.

Some universities in Pakistan have been charging their students a full semester fee without any discount or considerations, despite the on-going coronavirus crisis and classes being conducted remotely. Some have deemed this act ‘immoral and unfair.’

Aswad Shiraz, a student at Iqra University, said:

It is not just a piece of cake for everyone to bear the financial burden of their academics as some [students] do part-time jobs and give home tuition to pay off their expenses.

Owing to this, we demand that the universities reduce their fees by 50%.

Usman Mehmood didn’t voice anything different, rather his protest included concerns and worries of thousands of university students in the country.

 

 

The Capital University of Science and Technology student had been sharing and retweeting concerns of students where they demanded:

  • a decrease in their tuition fee
  • an end to online classes.

However, Usman received this letter from his university, deeming him ‘in violation of university discipline.’ The authorities decided to permanently expel him as a student.

Usman shared the letter by the Islamabad-based university’s discipline committee on social media:

 

Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, who chairs the Senate Committee on Human Rights, responded to Usman’s tweet saying he was within his constitutional rights while protesting peacefully. He further added that the VC of the university will be called to the committee to explain why a student was expelled for exercising his rights.

Your case will be shared with #HEC and if not reinstated, whoever is VC of ur university, he/she will b called to the committee. You were well within ur constitutional right to protest and raise ur voice

 

 

In an earlier post, Mustafa Nawaz had addressed the issue of students getting expelled for raising their voices:

 

 

 

It seems like universities all around the country need to come up with a plan to better accommodate their students, and further reinstate the importance of education, especially in these times. Are online classes the answer to imparting quality education during the COVID-19 pandemic? What do you think?

Have anything to add? Let us know in the comments section.


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