Young minds: AKU-EB awards higher achievers all over the country

Students claim that it is impossible to pass the exams if you do not understand the subject.

KARACHI: Dressed formally in crisp school uniforms, students from different schools had gathered at the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) auditorium to receive their higher achiever awards on Wednesday.

The AKU-Education Board had held its annual award ceremony for the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and the Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC). Pop singer and Zindagi Trust Foundation founder Shehzad Roy was present as chief guest. The ceremony kicked off with a brief introduction about the higher achievers and the boards accomplishments. According to Roy, the young people were the leaders of tomorrow. “If we want our young people to conquer the world and contribute to society, then it is essential for us to provide them with good education,” he said. “A decade or two from now this country is going to witness a great change because our students will be equipped with knowledge and skills to use it effectively.” He added that the AKU-EB has set an example in providing high quality education in the country. They started distributing the award certificates with Roy singing one of his all time hits, ‘Tera kangna jab khankay.’

AKU-EB Director Dr Thomas Christie gave out the SSC certificates to students from all over Pakistan. Roy was called up on stage again to give out awards certificates to HSSC students. AKUH President Faiz Rasul was asked to come on stage and give the certificates to Hooria Imran, Komal Zehra Zaidi and Sarah Salahuddin, the top three SSC students and Hani Ghulam Abbas, Asma Gulab and Raaza Malja, the top three HSSC students.

Pre-engineering student Hani Ghulam Abbas and pre-medical student Asma Gulab told The Express Tribune that it was impossible to pass the exam until and unless you understand the subject completely. This year, the AKU-EB has awarded 180 distinctions in different subjects and groups to students from 23 cities. Certificates and cash prizes were also distributed to the top three SSC and HSSC position holders.

Towards the end of the ceremony, Dr Christie said that in the last 10 years, the media had revolutionised and in future the AKU-EB would start media studies and journalism programmes.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 27^th, 2011.