Privilege to serve: A school for the poor in a posh locality

Teach A Child opens its doors for the ‘underprivileged’ in and around DHA.

LAHORE:

The Teach A Child School System which aims to provide ‘privileged education’ for the underprivileged has set up its second campus in the city at the posh Defence Housing Authority (DHA).

Officially inaugurated in October this year, the school is still in the process of registering students.

Set up under The Help-Care Society (THS), an NGO, the TAC School System started operations in 1998 to ‘provide equal education opportunities for children who cannot afford it’. Its first campus in Johar Town provides education to children from nursery to higher secondary level.

The TAC administration started negotiations with DHA authorities in May. “The DHA administration had been working towards providing education to underprivileged children and had allocated land for the purpose,” said Zeerik Ahmad, the DHA director public relations.

Ahmed said it was a Corporate Social Responsibility project. He said a purpose-built building had been raised in Phase 4 on 10.5 kanals at a cost of Rs25 million. “We planned to hand it over to professionals,” he said.

The TAC administration took control of the school in June and started registration in July. Around 350 families registered their children for schooling. “The families that can afford to educate their children in another set up are not accommodated at our schools,” said Col (retd) Sajid Razvi, the TAC chief operating officer. In the first-phase only children in the 4 to 5 years age bracket were inducted in the nursery class. Razvi said ground checks were carried out to verify the financial situation of the family. “We want to focus our resources on those who need it most,” he said. The TAC administration has also restricted induction to one child per family.



The building currently has four nursery classrooms with a capacity of 25 students each. However only 19 students have been inducted so far. “We are hoping to extend the registration process to allow full student strength,” said Razvi.

The TAC administration charges students a ‘dignity fee’ of Rs5 per month and cites a monthly cost of Rs3,000 per child. “Sponsorship of children by donors helps us bear the cost,” said Razvi. The TAC administration has hired only two permanent teachers at the school. Three staff members at the Johar Town campus are being shared. Students are provided uniforms, books and stationery and are also offered co-curricular activities, including music, art and computer skills.

“We have to be clear that this school is not for DHA residents,” said Razvi. “It is for people who take up employment at homes in the locality.” He said household servants employed in the locality could register their children for the school. He said there was a growing inclination among DHA residents to help educate the children of their domestic help. “There are also several katchi abadis in the area. We aim to target these,” he said.

Shumila Zamrud, from the DHA public relations office, said the areas surrounding DHA were largely impoverished. These included Bhatta Chowk area and adjoining katchi abadis. “The school can offer people from these areas an alternative for cheap, yet quality education,” he said.

The system which hopes to offer free, privileged education to children up to their professional education. Students from the TAC batch of 1998 are currently studying in universities including LUMS, LSE, Kinnaird College and FAST. We are still providing them financial assistance, said Razvi. “These students are our ambassadors,” he said. “They are asked to volunteer and speak to people living in impoverished localities close to the TAC campus to convince them to send their children to school.”

Currently the TAC campus in DHA can cater up to 200 students. “Work is underway to expand the campus or move it to a larger locality within DHA to more students,” Razvi said.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2012.