Private schools lack sports grounds

Most private schools in the federal capital do not have proper playing grounds meaning students cannot play most sports at schools and though they charge huge fees, they also do not have sports equipment.

Of the 1,500 registered and unregistered schools in the federal capital, only a few dozen have proper grounds for students and the majority of these institutions are operating in small houses.

Public schools, on the other hand, fare better in this aspect, and most government primary schools have grounds which measure over five kanals.

The matter was also recently brought up by lawmakers in a Senate standing committee which was meeting to discuss the declining sports sector in the country after Pakistani athletes were unable to participate in the latest edition of the Olympic Games.

“Private schools charge huge fees but do not offer any sports activities as they do not have proper grounds. The issuing of a no-objection certificate for opening private schools should be linked to the provision of playing grounds,” Senator Ilyas Bilour had suggested in that meeting.

“I agree that private schools should have proper sports grounds for their students as sports is an integral part of education. The majority of schools in the federal capital do not have proper grounds,” said Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (Peira) Chairman Hasnat Qureshi, adding that those schools which operate in purpose-built buildings have proper grounds.

“According to our rules, schools are bound to provide students with proper grounds which most schools do not have. But Peira does not want to come down hard on these schools because they are assisting the government in providing education,” he said and that Peira will be enforcing its rules gradually.

Only some of the 1,500 schools in the capital city hold annual one-day sports galas at the sports complex which are more like fun fairs and not proper sports events.

Several schools run by the Federal Directorate of Education in the rural areas also do not have sports grounds.

National conference on Persian

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) hosted a two-day national conference on ‘Persian Language: Challenges and Future Prospects’ which concluded on Thursday.

The conference was held in collaboration with the Embassy of Iran’s Cultural Consulate, the National University of Modern Languages, the Islamic Culture and Relations Organisation and Iran-Pakistan Institute of Persian Studies.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, Education Minister Balighur Rehman highlighted the significance of the Persian language in regards to the promotion of cultural harmony.

“Learning multiple languages has a positive impact on critical and analytical thinking and enriches the canvas of thought,” he said.

Persian has its own importance in the region as well as in regards to religion, he said, adding that this language preserves a treasure of knowledge and wisdom. The minister said Pakistan accords great importance to its relations with Iran.

“The bilateral relations demand emphasis on the promotion of Persian,” he stressed.

HEC Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed said there is a need for studying history in order to know how Muslims spread knowledge across the world through their research and theoretical findings.

Iranian Ambassador Mehdi Honardoost, Cultural Consular Shahaboddin Daraei, Ambassador of Tajikistan Jononov Sherali, HEC consultant Dr Mahmoodul Hasan Butt, HEC ED Dr Arshad Ali, poet Iftikhar Arif, faculty members and students attended the conference.

Saadi-Iqbal Awards 2017 were distributed among teachers of Persian who had played a leading role in the promotion of the languages. These include Dr. Arif Noshahi, Dr. Mehr Noor Muhammad Khan, Ms Zakia, Dr. Rabia Kiyani, Ms Bint-ul-Huda, and Dr. Hakim Dastari.

Published in Dawn, November 24th, 2017