Lahore Grammar School

Lahore Grammar School, or LGS is a group of private education institutions based in the city of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, with branches spread throughout the country. The school is highly selective, requiring multiple academic tests to be granted admission. The system was established in 1979[3] at its 55 Main Gulberg campus. Today, LGS has multiple branches in Pakistan. There are six branches in the Johar Town area, three branches in the Gulberg area, several branches in DHA, including one in Phase V and one in Phase I, and one proposed to be built in Paragon City. These branches are spread out across the country and offer private education to boys and girls from Preschool till A Levels. They also offer the IB Primary Years Programme.[4] LGS has campuses in Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Gujrat, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Rahim Yar Khan, Peshawar, Quetta, Sialkot, Sheikhupura, Wah Cantt, and Dera Ghazi Khan.

Lahore Grammar School
لاہور گرامر اسکول
Location
Lahore

Pakistan
Information
School typePrivate, Preparatory
Established1979
StatusOpen
School boardCIE and Punjab Education Board
Years offered3–4 to 18–19
Average class size15–35
Education systemGCE
Classes offeredPre school, Nursery, K.G 1-8th grade, O and AS/A Level
LanguageEnglish, Urdu
ScheduleDay school
CampusesJohar Town, 55 Main, DHA Phase 1, DHA Phase 5, Model Town, 1A1, Paragon, Shahjamal
Website,[1][2]

Co-Curricular
A concert organised by the students of Lahore Grammar School

The School's co-curricular activities are popular among the youth of Lahore. They range from educational events to sports programs. Most of the branches have ecological and environmental societies, which campaigns against the degreening of Lahore, and the concomitant decline in Lahore's air quality. Many branches have a community service program, proving students with opportunities to volunteer at organisations. Some of these include the Pakistan Society for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled, the Rising Sun Institute, Fatima Memorial Hospital, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), and Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital. Different clubs are arranged for the academic body, including debating and MUN societies, with teenagers participating in tournaments both locally and internationally.

Bonfires are an annual tradition for junior branches. Each branch has its own event. The event is an opportunity for pupils to take a brief break from schoolwork, helping them interact with each other in a way that enhances their social skills.

An event called GSL also takes place near the end of school in GSL or Grammar Super League children dress as cricketers and have a cricket tournament in which the winner receives a trophy.

Lahore grammar school is giving opportunities to its students to enhance not just academically, but also in various co-curricular activities. The school has various societies including MUN, debates and drama society. These opportunities given to students ensure that they are successfully able to pursue in these fields, with alumni like Fawad Khan and Momina Musthesan on the list.

Annual Interschool events are also held, including Grammathon, Grammun and Grammanation. These events usually host up to 500 delegates and are mainly managed by the student body, therefore contributing to their skills outside the classroom. The events are mostly followed by social events such as concerts, talent shows, fashion walks and qawwali nights.

Concerts by famous musical bands are held annually. The bands may be local or even the school's own bands. All major branches put on an annual play, in Punjabi, Urdu or English. Plays like Andhera Ujala were screened on television channels whereas Khatra-e-Jaan which had a number of LGS participants also received favorable reviews across Lahore.[5] The school's network has gone on educational trips to Lahore, all over Pakistan and to abroad countries including India,[6] China, the United States, Uzbekistan, Greece, Spain, and Egypt.[7]

Students

The school has a total of 16,000–24,000 students in all of its branches combined. Most students are:

Subjects

There are 5 compulsory subjects for O Levels:

They also offer the following optional subjects for O Levels:

Controversy

Events

In June 2020, teachers working for LGS Gulberg had been accused of sexual misconduct by students.

Likely as a result of the reach of the Me Too movement, female students and alumni from LGS 1-A/1 (LGS Gulberg) exposed faculty members for inappropriate behaviour and sexual harassment publicly due to LGS's administration not taking appropriate action. Such behavior had been claimed to have been happening for many years. The faculty terminated for the misconduct included:

  • Aitezaz Rehman Sheikh, a politics instructor and M.U.N Coach who sexted, offered alcohol to, and made out with underage female students.
  • Zahid Iqbal Warraich, a Chemistry teacher who sexually harassed and behaved inappropriately around female students.
  • Umer Sharif, a school admin who was accused of harassing girls and behaving inappropriately.[8]
  • Shehzad Irshad, a custodian/watchman[9][10][11]

The principal, Mrs. Shakil, an administrator Maira Omair Rana, wife of Omair Rana, and the coordinator Rubab Hassan were also suspended by LGS management following claims indicating they were suppressing complaints against misconduct, and slut-shaming the girls for their clothing.[12]

Reaction

As a result of the public outrage from the scandal, Murad Raas, the Punjabi Education Minister made a statement on Twitter addressing immediate concerns: "I will deal with the case in Lahore Grammar School 1A1 myself. Have talked to the Principal this morning. Getting all the details. These Children are my Children. I will protect them. This case will be brought to a proper conclusion according to law. Make NO mistake about it."[13] Soon after, the official PTI account tweeted, "Harassment is a serious issue. LGS 1A1 students’ complaints against repeated harassment & victim-shaming upon complaining to administration will be seriously dealt with. @DrMuradPTI will make sure all students’ safety." Murad addressed his concern's properly at a press conference on the 2nd of July, which he posted on Twitter in six parts. Murad then met with Sarah Ahmed, Chairperson of the Child Protection & Welfare Bureau Punjab, regarding these scandals; stating that, "SED and CP&WB will work in close coordination to provide safe environment to our children."[14] There has been no further progress on the case.

See also

References
  1. "LAHORE GRAMMAR SCHOOL | Prepared to Lead".
  2. "LGS JT". lgsjohartown.com.
  3. "LAHORE GRAMMAR SCHOOL | Prepared to Lead". Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  4. "Elementary - Lahore Grammar School". www.lgsdefence.edu.pk. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  5. عبادالحق بی بی سی اردو ڈاٹ کام، لاہور (1 January 1970). "BBC Urdu: Khatra-e-Jaan". BBC.
  6. "Lahore Grammar School – Honour Awards". Lgs.edu.pk. Archived from the original on 30 June 2010. Retrieved 19 October 2010.
  7. "Newsletter – June 2010" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 August 2010. Retrieved 19 October 2010.
  8. "LGS students come out against harassment, share inappropriate messages they received from their male teachers". Siasat.pk News Blog. 29 June 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  9. "LGS fires four faculty members for sexually harassing students". Daily Pakistan Global. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  10. "Students come forward as sexual harassment cases rife in LGS". Daily Times. 29 June 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  11. Zaman, Faisal (2 July 2020). "Elite private school in Lahore rocked by harassment scandal". Global Village Space. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  12. "LGS suspends principal, administrator and coordinator over sexual harassment scandal | Pakistan Today". www.pakistantoday.com.pk. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  13. "https://twitter.com/drmuradpti/status/1277896899694153728". Twitter. Retrieved 26 November 2020. External link in |title= (help)
  14. "https://twitter.com/mraasupdates/status/1280103088116969474". Twitter. Retrieved 26 November 2020. External link in |title= (help)

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