TIMERGARA, June 12: A student of a village school that militants had blown up has proved that love for knowledge can defeat mindless hate, by securing the top position in the annual Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination held by the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Malakand.
Hameedullah topped the result with 959 marks in the result announced by the Board last Friday.
Located in the mountainous Sangolai village in Maidan tehsil of Lower Dir, the high school has been rebuilt partially since the militants destroyed it some three years ago but still bears the scars of their mindless rage.
The next two positions also went to schools located in militancy-hit area. Mohammad Abbas of Malakand Public School Dargai stood second with 944 marks and Walid Ahmad of the same school got 938 marks and stood third.
Headmaster of Government High School Sangolai Attaur Rahman told Dawn that the school administration had made special arrangements for its students like tuition and extra classes despite the fact that the school had no building for the last three years after being blown up by militants.
He said 606 students were enrolled in the school and added that the security forces had detained some of the students for their alleged links with the militants. He said the overall result of the school remained 91 per cent.
He said that one of the detained students of the school, who was released ten days before his internal examination last year, topped the school examination, adding that this year he again got first position in the 9th grade board examination. About the school building, he said that the tender had been granted to a contractor but he had not started work so far.
While talking to reporters about his future plans, Hameedullah said that he would like to be a scientist and work in the atomic energy sector of Pakistan.
He further said that the country needed security and scientists instead of doctors. When asked why he wanted to become a scientist, he said that the country was short of brilliant people in the field.
Hameedulah, who belongs to a poor family, thanked his teachers and parents for providing him the opportunity and support to shine in the board results.
Another student, Sardar Zeeshan of Paito Dara village of Lower Dir, who got 4th position in the board wishes to get commission in the army. Zeeshan secured 930 marks.
Noman Rafi of Government High School Khall, who bagged 10th position in the board with 916 marks, said that he wanted to join the army and fight for the sake of the country. “I don't want to be a doctor as Pakistan at this stage doesn't need doctors,” the student said.
While talking to Dawn, a sociology teacher wanting not to be named said that more intelligent students like these were thinking about future of the country. “These students first witnessed the rise of Taliban in the region and then soldiers of Pakistan army eliminating them. The situation rightly affected the mindset of youngsters and it was natural,” he said.
He suggested the government to include in curriculum lessons which can guide them towards the right direction.
Meanwhile, residents of Sangolai village arranged a special vehicular procession to take the brilliant student to the village with honour.