Daily Times

A controversy has broken out around the Langlands School and College, Chitral. Mr Geoffrey Langlands, who managed the school for two decades before he retired in March 2013, finds himself at the centre of the controversy for trying to challenge his successor as Principal, Miss Carey Schofield, who was appointed with the active participation of the outgoing Mr Langlands. Reportedly, some disaffected former staff members of the school, having failed to generate support among the students and teachers, have encouraged Mr Langlands to come out of retirement at the ripe old age of 97. As a result, he requested the federal interior minister and the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, both former students of his at Aitchison College, Lahore, where Mr Langlands taught for many years, to ensure that Miss Schofield’s visa was not renewed, without even the courtesy of informing the Board of Governors or Trustees of the Langlands Endowment trust. The Board of Governors has issued a statement on the controversy, ending with the plea thar Miss Schofield’s visa be granted so that neither the school nor its students are deprived of the good work being done by her.

The unseemly controversy hardly brings any credit to the renowned Mr Langlands. A much appreciated teacher of long standing at Aitchison College, Lahore and Principal of the Chitral school for two decades, there is no doubting the care and hard work he put into his educational calling. The mere fact that he ventured into the difficult terrain of Chitral to provide local youth with hope of a better future speaks volumes for his dedication and unquestionable competence. However, as the adage goes, all good things must come to an end. Mr Langlands has played a long and fruitful innings and while his services will always be remembered in glowing terms, it is perhaps time for him to let go at his age. The Langlands school he left behind when he retired was beset with many problems that Ms Schofield has reportedly tackled with determination. It is time for Mr Langlands to retire graciously in his twilight years. The Langland legacy will live on in every stone of the Langlands school. He is indubitably a champion and shall always be remembered in that context by his charges and colleagues, in Chitral and elsewhere. *