REFERENCE J.K. Tareen’s letter (June30). Some facts need to be corrected.

I was the Deputy Commissioner who started the Langlands School, then called Sayurj Public School, in 1989 in Chitral. The school was started not because my children needed a school but because government schools were in a shambles.

Therefore, I decided to set up an English-medium high-quality school. I gave the DC’s Rest House as the school building, made the furniture, and purchased books etc from funds available at my disposal.

Ms Mairaj, Mr Tareen’s wife and my wife, Dr Riffat, helped in interviewing the students and teachers and finalising the syllabus. I have a photograph of the three ladies busy interviewing.

The problem started when we couldn’t find trained teachers who could teach in English. A lot of tourists used to visit Chitral and I asked my staff to send in any British ladies. I convinced Ms Julliette, Nicola and late Louise, God bless her soul, to stay back and teach in our school. Sophie Swire joined shortly afterwards. Julliette acted as principal while dynamic Sophie took on the responsibility to send five new teachers every year.

Ten million rupees were raised in three months. Chief Minister Aftab Sherpao gave Rs 3 million, while Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto gave Rs 5 million and I got another Rs 2 million from the government. I promptly purchased 25 acres of land where the school is now situated.

Major Langlands was recruited by me much later but to his credit, a man who had been the principal of a cadet college, he agreed to become the principal of a junior school. He was the rock on which the school progressed up to FSc. Having spent 23 years, he recently retired at the age of 95 years.

This is a fine establishment whose graduates have gone on to become teachers, lawyers, civil servants and army officers. I think everyone must set aside petty politics and contribute, in any way they can, for the stability and good of the school and college.

Javed Majid

Lahore

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2015

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