LAHORE:
Prime Minister (PM) Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani lauding nation’s teachers declared them the architects of future generations and added that they have a tremendous responsibility towards education as well as building the character of their young disciples.
The PM stressed the nation could meet all challenges if its future leaders were fully equipped and motivated to take them on with the right mindset.
Gilani was speaking at his DHA residence here, on Monday, to Prof RA Khan who was his English teacher at Government College (GC) in 1974.
According to the PM’s media cell press release, he said the present government had been focused while framing the Educational Policy, which would not only provide incentives to teachers but also help improve the teaching profession.
He said the provincial government too needed to pay particular attention to the welfare of teachers.
The PM said that the character certificate Prof Khan gave him, in his own hand-writing, was his “precious asset”. He quoted the words written by his teacher regarding his superior organising skills.
Earlier, Gilani personally received the professor and his family at his residence. He inquired after his health and well being.
The teacher was delighted to see his old student and said, “What I remember of him is that he was a quiet student who was focused on his studies and used to dress well. He was very friendly with his class mates.” The professor said that he was proud of the position Gilani had achieved.
The PM announced Rs1 million as special assistance to Prof Khan and his family. Prof Khan migrated from Mumbai to Pakistan in 1947 to join Government College, Lahore, as a student when Ahmad Shah Bokhari (Patras Bokhari) was the GC principal. Later, Prof RA Khan joined GC as an English lecturer in 1958 and retired in 1991. He is now 81 and has a wife and two children.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 12th, 2011.
COMMENTS (15)
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first of all, i think its just a photo session and its end with the photo, nobody will ask about him(the teacher) that how is he paasing his life.Why does the P.M even wanted to meet him.It would have been better itf he announces some increase in salary or allowances etc. Secondly, he is just try to shift the minds of the people from going on problems Pakistan is facing.I think as time is coming nearer for the next elections,he will try to make some photo session like this more to make fools us again.i am scared and hope that this time we are not...
From the story it appears the Teacher was a Government employee all his working life. No blame attaches him for accepting assistance from his ex-employer. At 81 a man is hardly in a position to be nitpicking.
It is niggardliness of spirit to suddenly become sanctimonious auditors of how the money out of discretionary funds of PM are being spent for a presumably needy teacher. Pakistanis are yet to earn the reputation of being the most conscientious tax-payers in the world to question a gesture to an old man The discussion should be on whether a case exists for increased pensions or creation of special funds for old, indigent teachers..
Feel Sorry for the teacher. What a JERK student you had for your English class.
What english language did he teach the PM, and secondly what about my teachers who have had taught me to pay my taxes loyally, out of which the PM gets to billions on his ayaashi??? If his teacher has any self respect, he should simply deny it, and ask the PM to replace the defence budget with the education budget instead.
@Mohammed Arif: First time I have seen a person who stammers while writing :) aa, bb,...
AA Mr. Gilani's professor should be interrogated by to ensure his degrees' originality....ha ha kidding.
BB Proessor should be awarded from Gilani's personal account not from government account.
CC Professor should donate this money to NGO or construct any school
Important is that he issued a certificate to Mr. Gilani for his capabilities as an organiser of something which is not known to anybody yet, though he was the teacher of english in GC. But while accepting the money he should have asked Mr. Gilani whether it was not from government exchequer and further, he must have told that he does not want a TV coverage as it is a great insult for a teacher being paid for nothing but personal advertising purposes.
This guy was his English teacher. LOL.
@informant:Mr.R.A.Khan as I remember was a teacher of high calibre.His contributions to maintain the high values of Government College Lahore are invaluable.It is not proper to degrade a teacher who selflessly groomed children who reached highest offices in the country not only PM but many others which are innumerable.
We as a nation failed to honour and extend courtesy to our teachers, thanks to culture intrduced in ZIA Era .
Same hold good for teachers they failed to maintain student teacher relationship in days when education is turned into money minting profession.
Thank you prime minister for your gestureto Prof R A Khan
@informant:
hahahhhaa i couldnt ahve said it better myself
also i do have a question was this session like one of those sessions he had with the fake flood victims at bogus camps?
If he really respects his teacher, he would've gone to his home without fanfare instead of calling him over with media glitz!
This is blatantly immoral: because he was the PMs teacher, the state should provide him only Rs 1mn assistance. The Prof should have the courage of principle to reject this favouritism. If not, I have no respect for him.
Indeed, a program is need for the welfare of Teachers and Professors. Sadly if a budget is allocated; it will never reach them. Somewhere down the line the officials will pocket it.
any teacher who taught someone so incompetent needs to be retired so he doesn't destroy other young minds like he obviously did with Gilani
also, what the heck is this "assistance" package? if he wants to help him, why doesnt gilani fork up some of his own millions?