Revision 12922: Aitchison College principal Michael Thomson resigns over ‘political interference’

Education and JobsPakistan Aitchison College principal Michael Thomson resigns over ‘political interference’ By Asma Rafique March 26, 2024 Aitchison College Principal Michael Thomson. (Image Credit: Aitchison College) The principal of Lahore’s Aitchison College, Michael A. Thompson, resigned on March 25, citing “prejudiced actions by Governor House” and condemning them as “unwarranted interference and brazen directives”. Although the reason for the resignation was not specified in the letter, media reports suggested that it was prompted by Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman’s decision to waive the tuition fees for the sons of Minister for Economic Affairs and Establishment Ahad Cheema. In a letter sent to the college staff, retiring principal Thompson said: “This is not how I planned to leave Aitchison, but I will share with you that a continuation of very poor governance has left me no other choice. Throughout my time as principal, I have done my very best to protect the school’s reputation while extending compassion to those in need.” However, he highlighted a distinction between this pursuit and the presence of “blatant policy manufacturing to accommodate certain individuals,” noting that “such people simply insist on preferential treatment.” “Politics and nepotism have no place in schools,” Thompson asserted. “Over the past year, other prejudiced actions by Governor House have contributed to a breakdown of governance and management, under which I had to finally draw a line. Thomson further wrote that subjecting such a successful school to “unwarranted interference and brazen directives,” seems “incredulous” to him, adding that “I leave on April 1 and will not play any role in the management of upcoming admissions.” The Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, when asked to comment on the resignation and Governor Punjab’s letter to the principal regarding the waiver of tuition fees for Cheema’s sons and granting them leave of absence, said the children had not been studying at Aitchison College for the past three years.Thomson tendered his resignation earlier as well It is pertinent to mention here that Thompson had previously tendered his resignation in September 2018, allegedly under pressure from political circles to take disciplinary action against some students He was reportedly facing pressure from the college’s Board of Governors to admit the son of former MNA Kashmala Tariq in A-levels after he was expelled earlier. However, he later withdrew the resignation after then-Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar and provincial education ministers visited him to convince him to do so. Two months before that incident, the government revoked Thompson’s visa, as he was an Australian citizen, allegedly because he had denied admission to a boy from an influential family. Later, they extended his visa for only three months, despite there being more than one year left on his job contract expiry. LUMS founder Syed Babar Ali also resigns from board Earlier in February, LUMS founder Syed Babar Ali also resigned as chairman of the school’s Board of Governors’ (BoG) management committee, citing ‘health and advanced age’ as reasons. The letter addressed to Governor Punjab surfaced after more than month following Principal Thompson’s resignation. In his resignation letter, Babar Ali praised Thompson. “I can affirm that Mr. Michael (Thompson) has done more for the College that any other Principal in the past ninety years. He has not only been able to raise funds for three new boarding houses but has also brought a new life on the campus by increasing the border population from under 150 to 500”, Babar Ali wrote. - Tags - College - Education - Lahore - Pakistan - Politics - Punjab Previous article Ramadan 2024 – Best Sehri and Iftar deals in Islamabad Next article 5 Chinese nationals, 1 Pakistani killed in suicide bomb attack in Shangla Asma Rafique LEAVE A REPLY Please enter your comment! Please enter your name here You have entered an incorrect email address! Please enter your email address here Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email.

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