RECENTLY talking on the occasion of Literacy Day, the Sindh education minister held teachers responsible for educational backwardness. It was not a surprise to hear someone in the corridors of power making the teachers scapegoat for all the ills in the education sector and decline in standards. There has been numerous such occasions in the past.

Currently, about 6.2 million children in the province are out of school. Teachers cannot be blamed for these out-of-school children. The number of non-functional schools is massive. The minister, in the same address, himself talked about such schools.

Apart from these non-functioning schools, there are thousands of schools not in a position to function even though they are trying. During a Sindh High Court hearing on free education and reforms earlier in the year, the then education secretary submitted a report acknowledging that 6,866 schools were closed and 7,974 schools were not fit to function. The actual numbers might be greater.

Should we hold teachers responsible for this sorry state of affairs? A large number of schools do not have basic facilities. According to a report by the Reforms and Support Unit of Sindh Education and Literacy Department, released in February this year, out of 49,103 schools in Sindh, 26,260 have no drinking water facility, 19,469 do not have washrooms, over 21,000 schools have no boundary walls, and more than 31,000 schools lack electricity. Should teachers be blamed for all this?

Besides, there is a rampant cheating culture during the board examinations. How most students pass the examinations is not a secret. An examination is just a formal procedure. Marks and grades are ‘sold’ in the educational boards, with students belonging to well-to-do families managing to get good grades. Again, are teachers to be held responsible for this corruption?

The government has been trying to save its face by holding the teachers responsible for the declining standards of education, which needs to be avoided. Admittedly, there are black sheep within the noble profession, but it is not fair to blame all the teachers for all the ills.

The teachers in developed countries are honoured and respected, but those at the helm in our context love to degrade the teachers in order to save their own skin.

Muhammad Ilyas
Larkana

BODY WITHOUT SOUL: Life without liberty is like body without soul, said Khalil Jibran. I do not know why this Jibran quote came to my mind when I heard the sad news of the passing away of Dr A.Q. Khan, the father of the country’s nuclear programme. He will forever be remembered for what he did for the nation and the country. May his soul rest in peace.

Malik ul Quddoos
Karachi

EXAMS IN LIMBO: I got enrolled in the LLB programme of a local college affiliated with the Shah Abdul Latif University (SALU), Khairpur. It has nearly been two years, but even our first year exams have not been conducted. The students have spoken to the college administration regularly, but to no avail, as it blames SALU for the delay. The misery of the students knows no bounds and there is no end to it in sight.

Shahnawaz Brohi
Shikarpur

WALKOUT NO SOLUTION: This refers to the report ‘Opposition walks out of Senate to protest against petrol bomb’ (Oct 2). Escape is the worst strategy in life, and the opposition’s walkout is no different. This will not help the masses one bit. Parliamentarians must understand that they are representatives of the people and must perform their duties the way they should.

Munawar Hameed Mangalwala
Karachi

JUST BRILLIANT: The speech by Ms Saima Saleem recently at the United Nations General Assembly was a superb presentation of Pakistan’s case with regard to the illegal Indian occupation of Jammu and Kashmir. She is visually-impaired, but her resolve and rock-like determination stunned the world when she read out the charge-sheet against India. She is the first Pakistani in the history of the UNGA to have used Braille while addressing the forum. Her speech was awe-inspiring and a beacon of hope for vision impaired people the world over that if you are determined and have faith in yourself, nothing can block your way.

Safir Siddiqui
Karachi

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2021