Roots silver jubilee: Toil of the past, promise of the future

Students’ achievements, schools’ initiatives highlighted.

ISLAMABAD:

The Roots School System (RSS) celebrated its silver jubilee in the federal capital on Monday with an impressive display of students’ achievements and the school system’s initiatives to cultivate international ties.

The silver jubilee celebrations were coupled with the graduation ceremony of the Roots Millennium Schools (RMS) Islamabad’s class of 2012-13. Students with high achievements in the Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) 2012 and Roots students who have been accepted at international universities were also acknowledged.

RSS Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Faisal Mushtaq urged the graduating class to remember their duty to Pakistan even if they go abroad for university.

“We must not forget that we have to come together to build our country,” Mushtaq told the students. “You have to help build the capacity, the ecosystem and an enabling sociopolitical environment for Pakistan.”

Mushtaq advised the students to be doers.

“You have to understand and realise that you have the potential to achieve greatness,” he said. “If you think positively and strive for the best, the dividends will come.”

Millennial Student of the Year 2013, Mohammed Hassan Khan, said he arrived at Roots two years ago, clueless about his future after finishing his O’ levels. But the support he got at RMS has led him to getting accepted by Boston University, where he will attend college this fall.

Valedictorian of the class of 2013, Araiz Abdul Baqi told his classmates not to limit to one interest or specialty, but fight on multiple fronts to make their mark on the world.

“Don’t be a Shoaib Akhtar or a Kamran Akmal,” Baqi said. “Be like Afridi --- an all-rounder.”

Chief Guest Mustafa Babur Hizlan, the ambassador of Turkey, applauded the achievements of the RMS students.

“I would like to offer my felicitations to all students, parents and teachers who have won recognition,” Hizlan said, as he saluted “the dedication and commitment of this great institution, its leadership, management and teachers who are nurturing the future of Pakistan and also the Silver Jubilee celebrations.”

Riffat Mushtaq, founder and director of the Roots schools, established the first Roots school in April 1988 on Rawalpindi’s Harley Street. Over the next 25 years, Roots schools have expanded to 15 cities and 50 campuses.

A video about RSS initiatives to reach beyond borders during the past year was also shown at the ceremony. Roots is offering its students languages courses in Chinese and German through collaboration with the Chinese and German embassies. Students have also visited Turkey and India during 2012 as well as attending summer school at US educational institutions such as Valparaiso University.

Earlier, Roots principals Safia Farooqi and Sabina Zakir briefed the audience about the philosophy and history of RSS.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 16^th, 2013.