ISEO: Schools to ‘take education beyond classrooms’

Over hundred schools gather at Karachi High School for its 11th International Schools Educational Olympiad.

KARACHI: Over a hundred schools from Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Quetta and Rahim Yar Khan have gathered at Karachi High School for its 11th International Schools Educational Olympiad (ISEO).

The opening ceremony for the week-long event was held on Friday when several students showed off their talent, reciting poetry and dancing to songs. During the competition, students of all age groups will stand against their fellows from other schools in recitals, poetry, drama, dancing and debates.

Rabia Garib started the ceremony with a speech in which she spoke about the continuously aggravated situation in the country. She urged everyone in the audience to look beyond the daily nuisance and find a way of giving back to the country.

Karachi High School principal and ISEO chairperson Parveen Kassim said that a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Faiz Ahmed Faiz Society and the ISEO. This year, the olympiad will also celebrate the year of Faiz Ahmed Faiz, she said.

Today’s generation can very well relate to Faiz’s poetry, which has always been uplifting in times of turmoil, said Kassim. The aim of the competition is to take education beyond the classroom. “We are not looking for students with only excellent academic standing. What we are looking for are students with a talent which defines them.”

“Some students have a good voice while others have good writing or speaking skills so the focus is to not limit them or compartmentalise their approach towards competition,” she added. The best performance of the day was given by a young girl who recited Faiz’s ‘Aao Hath Uthayen Hum Bhi’ amid thunderous applause from the audience. Rahat Saeed, head of Faiz Ahmed Faiz Society, also recited a few lines from his poetry. He said that the scent of revolution has spread all over the world. “And I hope we realise it and stand for ourselves before it’s too late.”

Chief guest, the Minister for Information Technology Raza Haroon stressed the need for young people to take up more responsibility. “Today’s generation cannot become complacent because we have a lot at stake now,” he said as he started his address. “Despite having everything in our country, what we always count are the faults.”

Haroon added: “We have all the resources in our country but what is really needed is commitment and determined leadership to help us sail through”.

The ISEO competition will go on till Wednesday, February 2.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th,  2011.