A tribute to the architects of the future

Iqra University students honour their teachers at a ceremony part of Aao Parhao

KARACHI:

Teachers hold the key to a nation’s future. They tutor and nurture the imminent scholars, leaders and professionals who will hold the mantle of their nation in the coming years. They do so without any greed or compulsion, simply wanting the best for the young minds who have been entrusted to them. But every now and then, a little appreciation never goes wasted.

With this wish to express gratitude to their teachers, 10 volunteers of Iqra University (IU) worked effortlessly for 20 days to honour their tutors and mentors at the varsity’s North Nazimabad Campus at a ceremony on Thursday. The event was part of ‘Aao Parhao’, an initiative of the Express Media Group.

“I strongly feel we should do something for our teachers who have given us so much,” said IU brand ambassador Mufarrah Malik, while speaking to The Express Tribune. “These teachers invest their time and energy to provide us knowledge. This is just a small gesture to appreciate all their hard work.”

In his address, the academic director at the campus explained that, for students, there were two kinds of teachers: ones who work only according to their job description and are known as the ABC while others who go a step ahead and are called the DEF. The latter work to create a better nation and polish the skills of their students.



Quoting renowned author and playwright, George Bernard Shaw, Abbasi said that on most occasions, teachers learn from students as the latter keep teachers updated on the latest research. “The best learning happens unconsciously,” he said.

Sharing some of his experiences as a professor at the campus, Ahsan Durrani stressed to promote the teaching profession and raise awareness about the importance of teachers who are building the future of Pakistan.

“This initiative to promote education and teachers is commendable because in Pakistan, every student wants to be a doctor or engineer but hardly anyone wants to be a teacher at the primary level,” said another teacher at the campus, Iqbal Nayani.

“People need to be patient and work for education because in a country of over 180 million people, the outcomes cannot be immediate,” she added. Speaking about the major problems faced by the education sector, Nayani said that a majority of children did not have access to schools and a large number of parents could not afford to send their children to schools.

“The ‘Aao Parhao’ campaign aims to highlight the importance of teachers in Pakistan, and that is exactly what we are doing at our campus,” explained the brand ambassador. “We want to express gratitude for the great work teachers are doing for us in Pakistan and to inspire them to continue their efforts,” she added.

The ceremony ended with a cake-cutting ceremony in honour of the teachers and green and white balloons released into the sky to mark the celebration.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 28^th, 2014.