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After brother’s suicide, teenager has no faith in education system
Saleem Khan achieves top position in high school, says there are no funds to study further.
Saleem Khan achieves top position in high school, says there are no funds to study further.
SHABQADAR: Saleem Khan came first among his peers in intermediate exams, but despite this achievement the teenager has little hope for his future. His younger brother’s suicide seems to have taken away his faith in the education system.
In April this year, Saleem’s 12-year-old brother, Kamran, immolated himself when his mother could not afford to buy him a new school uniform that he asked for after securing a second position in school. The tragedy has left the family shaken.
The family’s financial constraints have not gotten any better in the past two months. “I have passed my exams but now what? I don’t have any money so I can’t study further unless someone helps me,” he told The Express Tribune, adding “The education system in Pakistan hast has varying standards which creates disparity in society.”
“Today I have achieved success in my exams but I don’t have a brother with whom I can share this joy,” said Saleem. “It was very difficult for me to study after his death, which is why I only got 42 out of 65 in my Chemistry exam,” the boy added.
Saleem wants to be a medical officer but fears that he will not be able to afford a good college. His father Ijaz Gul works outside Pakistan but living as an illegal immigrant, he is not financially stable.
The teenager says that if he succeeds in life he will help the needy as much as he can, especially in the field of education, so that more people do not lose their lives like Kamran did.
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I wana help! Please ET email me his details and I will contact him. Thanks.
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I want to help, please send me his contact details.
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ET, can you provide details? Can u raise fund to support needy students and your readers can donate to help such gems. If we Paki`s dont support each other, who will? These kids are the future of Pakistan and we are destroying our future.
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Our firm may be able to support this kid. Can ET send me his contact details please?
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There is a major point overlooked in the fiscal problems so casually stated by the child; is one of severest problem of deep depression as well as absence of parents. In the land of the pure there seems to be no end to problems, but truly I have witnessed worse from 1980′s Sri Lanka that was in the thrall of war most readily forgotten despite the fact that it was where the blowing up of human bombs began among the Tamil Tigers; who were the poorest of the poor, to Africa where its hard to pick a country that suffered and suffers more than others. I live in United States and even here there are communities that represent the poorest of the worlds nations, where children have no stable food supply, no clothing, nor even a place where they could sleep at night except shelters which only accept the numbers mandated by fire department. Pray take the family to a child psychologist wherein there will be individual and joint therapy.
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How may I contact this child or his mother? The father, I am afraid just disappeared in the crowd. I have seen such fathers. Legal or illegal does not make much difference but it is a nice cover-up to hide responsibilities. So sad.
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There’s all the reason in the world to doubt the system. But, to claim self immolation was caused by it is a bit too much. Education and monetary issues exist worldwide. People don’t usually resort to lighting themselves on fire because of it. The blame goes to areas of a more personal nature.
The death harming his performance and concentration on the other hand… There are actually rules in some places that take tragedies into consideration when it comes to performance. More time, time off without backlash and so on. It wouldn’t be a bad thing to implement for people like him to be eligible for it.
Even though the brother killing himself might get it more attention, it still derails where the issues lie.
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while reading the news I felt so frustrated and disappointed, not to tell of the grief. But when I started reading comments, I felt so proud to be a Pakistani. We have individuals with generous hearts, I hope we also build some institutions to streamline this generosity.
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ET, come on the least you can do is set up a small paypal account and let others donate so you can pass the funds to the child. this will make you even more credible and have a better corporate image in the eyes of the readers.
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