A file photo of a pistol.
Fourteen-year-old Noor Hayat woke up on Monday (March 31) in good spirits. It was result day at school and he was confident that he had passed the sixth- grade examinations, which he had to repeat for a third time because he failed for two consecutive years.
He joined his fellow sixth-graders at Government High School-I Sakhakot, Malakand and waited patiently for the results to be announced and for the school day to end so he could share the good news with his mother.
However, when Noor returned home from school, what happened next will haunt his mother for years to come. When asked about his result, he smiled and told his mother he cleared the exams. Then, the teenager went to a room and came back with a pistol in his hand.
According to Noor’s mother, she assumed he was happy and wanted to use the weapon for aerial firing, which she urged her son not to do. She had no clue what was to follow. Her son aimed the pistol at his chest and pulled the trigger.
His family learned later that Noor had failed his exams, again.
Noor’s maternal uncle, Muhammad Fayyaz, told The Express Tribune he hurried to his sister’s side when he heard the shocking news. Neighbours and relatives had rushed him to Dargai hospital but doctors referred him to the Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar. The wounded teenager didn’t make it to the second hospital alive.
Noor was the second of five children. His father has been working in Malaysia for the past 10 years and would only visit during holidays, leaving his mother to care for the children on her own.
“He was a bit different compared to other boys his age. He wasn’t an exceptional student but he was passionate about pursuing his studies,” said his uncle Fayyaz, adding the teenager was a regular boy who liked mobile phones and wanted to have his own motorbike.
“The education department should formulate a strategy for those students who show a keen interest to learn despite exam results, as it shows their dedication, which should be appreciated,” said Fayyaz.
Noor’s class fellow, Israr, told The Express Tribune that the deceased was a good friend. “Sometimes he would get punished in class but he never gave up on his studies. He was also a regular student, only taking a leave from school if he was sick,” Israr said.
Government High School-I Sakhakot Principal Abdul Halim said the school’s students and staff were saddened over Noor’s death and several of them attended the funeral.
He added the school’s teachers were quite lenient in their marking and Noor’s depression over failing was rare among students.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 2nd, 2014.
COMMENTS (14)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
Very sad and shocking indeed. However, the present teaching practice in schools has been reduced to rote memorization of taught concepts. No one bothers to focus on skill development in each subject. Sadly this is the same for both the government and private sector schools.
The current education system/s DO NOT cater to individual student needs at the level of early years education. A 6th or even a 9th grade student is not a learner who can apply the taught concepts, as he/she has not been given the basic skills (including the examination skills) to fare in the academic years.
What they are stressed upon, mostly, is the rote learning and a student who rotes the best always passes his class tests, school, board even university exams with flying colours. Our institutions are encouraging this practice. All the potential of young children is being wasted on useless examination practice which stresses upon assessing the child on his ability to memeorise only.
On the individual level the teachers also play a significant role in confidence building in children and when a teacher relates the acceptance of a child as an individual with passing of a certain exam, such tragedies occur.
We, at Alba International School, Lahore, Pakistan, extend our deepest sympathies to the grieved mother.
Memoona S. Rizvi Director
Parental pressure and poor parenting leads to these kind of situations.... Sad
@Salwa: Same as they are in US schools, parents aren't careful with weapons.
I feel very sorry for the family, but it may be more than just exams. A father who's not around and a gun that's so easily accessible!
How callous can a teacher be. The first time he failed he should been given extra coaching by the school. Everyone has some honor, dignity & ego.
Without commenting on this tragedy, I just wish to ask what kind of doctors work in that hospital (Dargai Hospital) who just referred the poor boy who must be profusely bleeding due to bullet wounds in his chest. Wouldn't any competent doctor (with reason able training, an MBBS, in surgery which they all must receive & tested before qualifying for their Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery degree). There has to be some serious inquiries & investigations done about the competence level of all those doctors working in that hospital who just opted to refer a seriously injured patient to a Hospital which, I assume, is located far away (otherwise his carers would have gone there in the first place, again I'm assuming).
how are guns and pistols so easily accessible to all these kids !!!!!!!!
Different? Poor kid could be struggling with any of the learning disabilities and who would know that in the Government High School-I.
Pakistan's education system: unfortunately over-pressurizing children instead of producing creative minds!
The state of education - judging a fish by its ability to climb a tree.