KARACHI, Aug 25: The six street schools of Baghdadi and Shahbeg Lane are a wonderful example of self help by the people of Lyari. Here, evening coaching classes are held in narrow lanes that are shut to traffic by a durree fastened across the breadth of the lane. Most teachers teaching here are unemployed or are students themselves. But they give their time voluntarily to help the children in their studies and to keep them away from drugs.
The difficulties teachers face is clear from the street school run by the Kainat Educational and Social Welfare Society. Here, classes are held from primary to Matric, but there is only one blackboard — which broke recently. Almost half of the hundred children, who attend and study while sitting on durrees, have no text books or copies. Of the 11 teachers here, only one is employed.
Aamir, aged 30, who has been coaching children here since 1999, says, “to become a teacher in a government school, you either have to be well connected or to pay Rs 30,000 as bribe.” Noor Sabah and Sabeen, two of the four female teachers here, are both Matriculates and want to study further. As they cannot afford to pay the regular fees, they hope to study at home and then give their exams.
As for the children’s attendance, “If they don’t come for a few days, we send a written notice to their parents telling them to send their children or else their names would be written off,” it was learnt.
Coaching classes have become essential for the children of the area because they learn so little in the public schools where teachers take their classes lightly and expect students to work on their own. “They ask the children to buy guide books and study from these,” confides one teacher. “How can they afford to buy both textbooks and guide books?”
At this street school, which runs in two shifts, from 5 pm till 9 pm, the children pay Rs5 a month to attend these classes. A contrast to this street school is the school run by ARM Child and Youth Welfare, a registered organization just a five minute walk away. All the children here sit on chairs; the wall is plastered and a strip — painted green — serves as a blackboard. Cartoons of Mickey Mouse have been painted on the wall by an illiterate Lyari artist, give a festive look to the surroundings. Besides, two small rooms have been constructed adjoining the street school; one serves as a library and has some 1000 books; while the other, which has a computer, serves as a sitting room for the organizers.
What has really helped those who run this school is its sponsorship by the Rotary Club, which has been helping this street school with donations — all in kind for the past ten years or so. It is Rotary which has borne the expenses of construction and provides textbooks, copies and even chalk to this school.
Some of the 30 teachers here who give coaching classes to the 275 children who attend, are also teaching in a regular school or are employed by some NGO. But most of the teachers are students themselves; some attend English classes held by the PACC. They are helped by the Rotary Club which pays for their books and fees.
Besides Rotary, other NGOs have also approached this street school. The Teachers Resource Centre has trained some of its teachers, NGORC of the Agha Khan Foundation has imparted training in management; the Family Planning Association which conducts a youth awareness programme, has also addressed the students here.
Abdul Jalil, a teacher here since 1985 when the street school was first set up, says, “This was our way to fight off the traffickers from our lanes. Thank God we succeeded. Now you don’t see the traffickers. Jalil adds that what has also helped to bring about a positive change in this part of Lyari is the involvement of the boys in football.
Another feat achieved by Jalil and his co-workers is to keep the lane where the street school is clean. “Some years ago, people threw their rubbish in the lane. In 1997, we provided them with bins, which they use now. As some of these have spoilt, they have bought their own.”
Seeing the progress made by the street school sponsored by Rotary, Jalil hopes that now NGOs in Karachi will sponsor the other street schools. “They really need help. I hope some organizations will come forward and provide text books for a book bank, copies and black boards to the other schools.”