Islamabad should formulate policies and decide matters independently keeping in view the national interests
LARKANA: This refers to the interior ministry’s marching orders given to the Turkish staff of the educational network known as PakTurk international schools and colleges . The decision has been taken without giving serious consideration to the negative impact it will have on the future of the students enrolled in different branches in the country.
This educational network was launched in 1995 under an International NGO, registered with the Turkish government; presently it has 28 campuses across the country. It provides learning of international standard, especially to children of middle class population. They are known for academic excellence, character building and personality development of the students. It was the talent, modern methodology and educational expertise of both the Turkish teaching staff and management that brought these institutions on a par with international standard.
The academic excellence of this educational network can be gauged from the fact that a student from Jamshoro campus, Rejinish Aneel Bhatia, of grade 7 bagged the gold medal in the International Mathematics challenge V, hosted by the PAN Asia International School in Bangkok last year, and three other students from the same branch secured silver and bronze medals.
Once the Turkish staff and the management stop teaching and looking after these schools , the academic achievement and standard will drop. Neither students nor the local teachers recruited in this educational network have any idea of Fethullah Gullen and his movement.
Islamabad should formulate policies and decide matters independently keeping in view the national interests. And our national interests demand uninterrupted flow of education from these wells called PakTurk international Schools, because giving our youth the opportunity of world standard education can only ensure Pakistan’s projection on world stage.
Nazeer Ahmed Arijo
Published in The Express Tribune, January 11th, 2017.
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