Promoting education: ‘Teachers need to modify attitude to impart education’

MNA Dr Arif Alvi speaks on how the role of teachers has changed with time.

KARACHI: To achieve socioeconomic development in the country, teachers need to reform their behaviours and improve on their teaching skills.

This was stressed by speakers at a seminar on Tuesday on the occasion of International Literacy Day, 2013, at the Aga Khan University. The seminar was organised by United Nations Educational Science and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) and Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aaghai to discuss the role of teachers union in promoting the right to education, Article 25-A.



The central theme of the seminar revolved around ways to make the society literate by providing better education to children, which is a big challenge for the government and educational experts.

MNA Dr Arif Alvi participated in the event while the panellists included Educational Resource Development Centre founder and director Salman Asif Siddiqui, Peak Private Schools Management Association chairman Haider Ali, Govt Elementary College of Education principal Haroon Leghari, Development Centre director curriculum Raana Hussain, Bahria College Karachi vice-principal Lubna Mohiuddin.

In his speech, Dr Alvi shared his childhood experiences and spoke about how the role of the teachers have changed now due to modern challenges.

“When education becomes a commercial entity, the relationship between teacher and student also changes,” he added.

He said that the promotion of education was dependent on good governance and measures should be taken to better the framework of health and education.

The lawmaker said that just like the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government had declared an education emergency in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, he also planned to improve the levels of education in his Karachi constituency, NA-250, with the help of NGOs.

Criticising the role of teachers’ union at the government’s education department, the lawmaker said that the union should fulfill their responsibilities to create a better society.

Kazi Ayaz Mahessar of Unesco in his speech urged the need to ensure a uniform education system. He said that unions in different educational institutes were working well. “It is necessary to address the complexities to provide quality education free of cost.”

The event was also attended by teachers, principals, authors and school owners.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 12^th, 2013.