The best of Bahawalpur

And not only was it the best of Bahawalpur it was the best of Pakistan as well, the Pakistan that is unseen and unreported yet is typical of much of the country. For three days last week there was an event at the Dominican Convent School in Bahawalpur that did much to gladden the eye and restore faith in Pakistan as a whole.

It was a packed agenda from morning to night and the entire programme was put together by a student committee with minimal oversight from the faculty. The theme was Saarc — the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. The idea was to bring knowledge and understanding into a sharper detail, to explore new ways of learning and communicating and to create a real-time experiment. It was a complex task. The school had never done anything like it before and there were risks attached — not the least being a shift in the power dynamic that exists between students and teachers and well as a bridging of the gender gap at a time in their lives when the genders are separating rather than coming together, a kind of counter-cultural spin.

The logistics were fiendishly complicated. Security, always a worry, was competently handled by young men and women who gave every impression of knowing what they were doing. Sessions began (mostly) on time and were tightly organised. All the resources were in place for the participants to deliver what was being advertised. There was food provided by local outlets that did a roaring trade throughout the three days and will have gone home happy last Saturday night. The events’ organiser did a seamless job with the piece-de-resistance being the breathtaking venue they constructed for the holding of the awards ceremony. The chief guests made opening and closing addresses that were both intelligent and relevant. The Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Multan, Benny Mario Travers, told a sharp allegorical tale about an eagle that thought it was a chicken. The CEO of Ashraf Industries, Ch Muhammed Zaka Ashraf, reflected on the differences between the education of his youth and what was being unfolded here in Bahawalpur. Both seemed to understand that education was both on a cusp and also on fast forwards. And then after the last plaque had been awarded there was an outburst of unbridled happiness. Yup…happiness.

Single young people of both genders danced. Danced. Together. Face to face. Unrelated to one another and with huge smiles on their faces. They mobbed the stage and the runway that led up to it, did a conga wearing in the case of the young women some spectacular ball gowns that made it look like a convocation of princesses — and my how they laughed. The young princes were all impeccably behaved as far as I could see and there was nothing remotely improper — and I can spot remotely improper on a foggy night from 100 yards. Us grown-ups stood to one side and watched the generation that is entering the paperless classroom; the bookless library and delivering the online homework assignments — give themselves a well-deserved pat on the back.

So what were the takeaways? For one thing, corporate social responsibility appears to be alive and well in Bahawalpur. Local industries supported the event generously meaning that it broke even. For another it built any number of bridges where none existed before, particularly at a student level as young people from other schools in the area, attended. Representatives from schools which may be regarded as rivals were given awards for debating. There were representatives from the invariably maligned government schools and yes they won awards as well and looked as pleased as Punch as they accepted the presentation — maybe not so bad after all some of those government schools, huh?

A new understanding of the relationship between a student and a teacher was forged that is going to be transformative for the school in years down the line — the event truly was a game changer in the best possible way. For some teachers, this was difficult, but others saw a future for education that was more inclusive, that had a place for dialogue between teachers and taught that went far beyond the sterility of rote learning.

This was a school that was learning about itself. The Principal, Sr Anna Bakshi, admitted that it was a risk, and it took daring to step into an unknown with the confidence that everything would be all right on the day. It was. Over tea we discussed futures. The school is long overdue for a new library. It has grown apace and resources need to grow as well. A new library is on the list of things to do perhaps two years hence — but it will be bookless. Paper is disappearing from education across the world and this quiet — but prosperous — backwater is no different.

Standing in the office with one of the school administrators he made a remark that really did stop me in my tracks. “Look at them,” he said as we gazed out on the food outlets on the last day — “They are so different.” What he meant was that the awkwardness of boy-meets-girl, the gauche interactions of days previously has gone. Young men and women sat together, drank coffee and chomped on burgers and played games together. Games. Yes indeed George…different.

Which brings us to the small but powerful figure of Yumna Babar, the president of the Executive Council that was tasked with turning a bold idea into an even bolder reality. She was omnipresent, everywhere you looked, with a fierce grasp of the big picture as well as the micro-detail. Precisely the kind of young woman that you just know is going to make an impact whatever her chosen field may be. She led the group that took first steps into the very real and very hard adult world. And will go on to lead — it’s practically printed on her forehead. Yes, it was the best of Bahawalpur and yes, the pride of Pakistan as well.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 23^rd, 2017.

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