KARACHI: Prominent journalist and writer, Zubaida Mustafa has said: “Government lacks political will for promotion of education in the country even though the constitution of Pakistan under act 25/A directs government to provide free education to all children of the ages between 5 to 16.” She was addressing the Shura Hamdard meeting as a chief guest, here Monday. Justice (Retd) Haziqul Khairi presided over the meeting held on the theme: “National unity and educational system,” held at Hamdard Corporate Office, Karachi.
Zubaida Mustafa said, there are many education and health related issues that need to be addressed in order to promote effective educational system. Children must be healthy to attend school and learn regularly.
“In our society, there is not much focus on early education and this saying that parents do not want to send their children to school is an excuse,” she maintained.
While adding that if government fails to fulfill its commitment to education, eventually the private sector will come forward. It is important not to create obstacles in the way of private sector instead government should work with them to promote education especially primary. She also highlighted the importance of trained teachers.
Abbas Husain, Director, Teachers Development Centre, Karachi said, “Best methods of teaching are available in English, language, so I urged the teachers to learn English to master technique of teaching and to have command of languages. The time has changed now even from 2009 China, realizing the importance of English has become a largest English learning country and after China, Japan is the next country,” he said, adding that every country had realized the need and importance of English.
Mrs. Sadia Rashid, President, Hamdard Foundation Pakistan said, single educational system and curriculum in the country would promote patriotic approach among new generation thus paving the way of national unity, we seek for a very long time.
Prof. Dr. Shakil-ur-Rahman Farooqui lamented that present educational system had destroyed the national unity and shattered the very foundation of the country.
“There are many systems of education running in the country of no avail as a student of English medium school cannot write a paragraph in English adequately,” he said, adding that English, being a language of international coordination, should be maintained as a second compulsory language in primary and secondary education.
Salim Moghal, Director, Programs and Publications Hamdard were of the view that education and children were never in top priorities of governments in Pakistan. That’s why education of children is not being discussed on TV Channels. Save the faculty you would be able to save the educational system, he asserted.
Khurshid Hashmi was of the opinion that the knowledge of Mathematics and advance English was essential to make progress in this scientific age, so we should shed our complex against English, because every language was a mean of communication and which university in the world would give admission to our only Urdu knowing students? he questioned.
Brig (Retd) Riazul Haq said that we should not be allergic to English as father of the nation, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah used to speak and write in English.
“The standard of education mostly depends on teachers, but unfortunately we didn’t build a proper system of teachers’ training,” he lamented.
Sheikh Usman Damohi said, the British had given us a good educational system, but, alas, we destroyed it. In the obsession of Urdu’s imposition we have shunned English while China, Japan and other countries were being attracted to English, he added.