Monthly Archives: December 2016

Aspiring to teach?

Teacher helping students in classroom
Teacher helping students in classroom

By Zubeida Mustafa

SINDH is a land of paradox. For several years, the provincial government has been spending massive amounts on education, or so it claims, but has failed to make any impact on the learning outcome of students. Quite a large number of children — 59 pc according to the Pakistan Social And Living Standards Measurement Survey 2014-15 — remain out of school.

I call this a paradox because when it comes to making verbal commitments, Sindh cannot be faulted. Thus apart from the huge financial allocations the province has been announcing for this sector, it was the first to adopt a right to education law to endorse Article 25-A of the Constitution. This recognises the right of every child between five and 16 years of age to free and compulsory education. Continue reading Aspiring to teach?

Enough is enough

gun-logo

By Zubeida Mustafa

THE turnout at the walk organised last Sunday by Citizens against Weapons (CAW) was heartening. Started in 2014 by some concerned citizens, the campaign is catching on. I had joined them at a rally on an intersection of a busy area in Karachi two years ago. There were then barely 50 protesters. On Sunday, there were 400 or so.

One of them, activist Naeem Sadiq, whose motto is ‘say no to guns’, has been working on this goal for a decade. He and his colleagues want to rid the whole country of guns and the message is gaining adherents as a larger number of people — that does not include our rulers — begin to understand the significance of deweaponisation in ending violence. Continue reading Enough is enough

Education: demand & supply

school

By Rifaat Hamid Ghani

guest-contributorWE much discuss what education should be giving/bringing society; but seldom dwell on what society is feeding into education.

Far too many dedicated and obviously competent, if not gifted—for teaching is indeed a vocation—feel a decline in the calibre of their students and an alteration in the expectations and orientation of parents. The nature of personal commitment to education has changed. It is perceived as a commodity— there is less love of learning than love of the fruits thereof. Continue reading Education: demand & supply

Consulting a doctor

Dr  Zeba Hisam (MBBS FCPS)

zubeida-3-001-1I am always amazed at people who do not have a family physician from whom they can seek medical advice, when they are ill No matter what is the nature of their health problem, there is no family physician to decide if there is any need for a referral to a specialist. Even patients who are educated and are from the privileged class  declare proudly that they do not need a doctor as they have not suffered from any disease.  In this scenario, if any emergency arises, they panic and seek an immediate appointment from the most renowned and famous specialist they can think of.

My observation is that the more affluent and educated a person is, the more awkward he feels in seeking medical advice. He decides himself which specialist he should consult. His choice sometimes proves to be wrong.

Continue reading Consulting a doctor