ISLAMABAD, Nov 23: Humanism, and high moral and social values are needed to be inculcated among the new generation through quality education, eminent educationist Rabea Rafeuzzaman said.

She was speaking as chief guest at the 4th convocation and prize distribution ceremony of the Khaldunia High School at the NIC auditorium on Saturday.

She urged the students to have strong characters to withstand the social injustices and evils. Being appreciative of the school, a brainchild of the late Dr Eqbal Ahmad, an internationally acclaimed educationist and scholar, she said: “I am looking forward to the day when this school will be declared one of the best educational institutions in the region”.

“They (students) will succeed where we have failed, and I am hopeful that they will definitely come up to the expectations of their country as well as their parents”, Ms Rafeuzzaman said.

She said institutions such as Khaldunia High School were the need of the hour so that students could be given meaningful knowledge.

Earlier, the principal, Hajra Ahmad, said: “Education is a vast field in itself and cannot be restricted to the classrooms. Students should be allowed to express themselves through different means, be it acting, sports, or other extra-curricular activities.”

She said: “We place a high premium on all those who learn to think critically, to question an unjust status quo and those who feel impelled to improve the lot of those less fortunate.”

Ms Ahmed, the niece of late Dr Iqbal Ahmed, said education was a two-way learning process, wherein both teachers and students learned from each other. “During my 12-year teaching experience, I have learnt a lot from the students,” she added.

She maintained that “we at Khaldunia teach peace, tolerance and try to make our students better human beings”.

At the end, the students, who had performed well in both academic and co-curricular activities, were awarded medals and merit certificates.

Sehar Hussain and Rohi Azhar shared the most coveted prize — Eqbal Ahmad Memorial Medal for student of the year — for their overall outstanding performance.

Shaza Azmat bagged Academic Excellence Award for her extraordinary performance by getting straight As in O-level. A special award, named after the late Omar Asghar Khan, was given to Farina Zaheer for her all around performance in both academic and extracurricular activities.

Earlier, the students presented different items like tableaus and dances which were duly appreciated by the audience. The students of the junior most class in the school started the proceedings by singing a number of lively songs such as “turn around to touch your nose”, followed by the rendition of popular national songs by the students of a senior class.