Dear All,
Please pass this press release on to EVERYONE. We are at a turning
point. If the students at the Multan College of Arts can manage to
pull this off, it is a step to a social revolution, which as u know we
badly need in Pakistan. It may deter politicians from further
involvement in the institution, and it may encourage others to throw
out incompetent political appointees. Geo has refused to air the
students protest, and so far only Samaa and Dunya have given it any
coverage. Time is of the essence.
"Without education it is complete darkness and with education it is
light. Education is a matter of life and death to our nation. The
world is moving so fast that if you do not educate yourselves you will
be not only completely left behind, but will be finished up. The Holy
Prophet (PBUH) had enjoined his followers to go even to China in the
pursuit of knowledge. If that was the commandment in those days when
communications were difficult, then, truly, Muslims as the true
followers of the glorious heritage of Islam should surely utilize all
available opportunities. No sacrifice of time or personal comfort
should be regarded too great for the advancement of the cause of
education."
Quaid-e-Azam
Since last Thursday, February 24th, students of the Multan College of
Arts (MCA), at Bahauddin Zakariya University in Multan, Pakistan, have
refused to go to any classes. They are striking in protest of the
administration's decision to not renew the contract of their respected
teacher, Assistant Professor and Canadian expat, Richard Seck. They
are also demanding the immediate dismissal of the school's Principal,
Zafar Gillani.
In the last two and half years, students of MCA have watched Richard
Seck work tirelessly trying to fill the holes in their learning of the
subject of design, specifically graphic design. Alongside this, he has
attempted to dig deep and discover what each student's true passions,
skills, and goals are, so as to give them a meaningful direction to
their work. With the senior students, the challenge then was to help
them discover the thesis project that was uniquely them: a project
that would be born of their passion, served by their skills, and in
the end, provide them with a portfolio that would allow them to move
forward in the direction that they had identified for themselves;
whether higher education, or a specific job in the marketplace, or
perhaps a home-based business. Then there was the need to provide a
proper exhibition of this hard work and, in his first year at MCA, the
College only had an unfinished concrete shell of a gallery to house
the design thesis show. With his enthusiasm, students were inspired to
help in transforming what was considered an impossible venue for an
exhibition into a first thesis show that was pure magic! Since then,
his photography students have mounted a show of their work for the
Prime Minister of Pakistan and two other highly successful thesis
shows have taken place. Graduating students have been making MCA proud
with their manifold achievements since leaving the College. Alongside
all this, Mr. Seck worked on improving the facilities; less than half
the computers were working when he arrived at the College, and they
were so poorly specified that they could barely run the required
software. There was no Internet, no UPSs to combat the unending load
shedding, and the list went on. Students watched for six months as he
trudged to the administration building, time and time again, to get
funding to resolve these problems. By his determination and the grace
of God it actually happened and the problems were sorted (at least for
a short while)! As it was also clearly evident that the students'
understanding of fundamentals of art and design needed to be addressed
and strengthened at the early stages of their education, students
observed how Mr. Seck struggled to bring the Indus Valley School of
Art and Architecture Foundation Year Program (one of the premiere art
and design college's in the country, where he had previously served)
to MCA, and oversee its implementation and development. The list goes
on but it should be clear by now as to why the students are protesting
the dismissal of such an asset of the school…
Initially supportive of the efforts of Mr. Seck, the Principal, Zafar
Gillani, in the spring of 2010, started an aggressive campaign to
discredit the efforts of one his most popular teachers at the school.
His support was nonexistent for any of Mr. Seck's future initiatives
and indeed, Principal Gillani began a process of destroying the
successful programs that were in place at the College as a result of
Mr. Seck's efforts. Zafar Gillani's complete lack of support for the
2010 Thesis Show was devastating, both students and faculty (not one
rupee was given by the school to support the huge effort that was made
by each student who attempted a proper thesis project). This
exhibition is a major promotion for the College and failure of the
Principal to allocate any funds (MCA had a Rs. 500,000 donation to the
department that year) to this incredible event, was unforgivable.
Then, after the huge effort to set up and run a proper integrated
Foundation Year program in the College, which was an adaptation of the
program from one of the premier art and design colleges in the
country, the response from the MCA administration to those who
implemented and worked hard to make it a success, was nothing but
damning criticism, to the point where Mr. Seck suggested to Mashad Ali
Jafri, the man who brought the program to Multan, to go back to
Karachi. This sadness was amplified by the reality that, after three
highly successful Design Department thesis exhibitions led by Richard
Seck, the man who had implemented the highly praised thesis program,
was removed from anything to do with thesis, design teaching, or
curriculum development. And, although Mr. Seck had given the
Principal, who took charge of the thesis program, a complete document
of how this innovative program had been run to date, it was
essentially thrown in the dustbin. The list of atrocities goes on, but
at this point it should be clear as to why the Principal is being
asked to leave.
"Pakistan is proud of her youth, particularly the students, who are
nation builders of tomorrow. They must fully equip themselves by
discipline, education, and training for the arduous task lying ahead
of them."
Quaid-e-Azam
Pakistan should be proud of these brave and determined students of the
Multan College of Arts, who have taken a stand and said, "enough is
enough!" Indeed, Mr. Jinnah is smiling, and perhaps this collective
Rooh will spread its glow, far and wide, with the hope of a better
Pakistan.
Bismillah.
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