‘Teachers cannot play with students’ future’

KARACHI:

Teaching is a passion - one that comes with great responsibility.

This was highlighted by Professor Khalid Iraqui, the dean of Karachi University’s public administration department (DPA), as Aao Parhao, aiming to promote recognition of teachers and inspire the youth to take the initiative to teach, knocked on the department’s doors on Tuesday afternoon.

“Even teachers who are currently in the profession need to learn,” Professor Iraqui stressed. “Just because an institution is state-run, we cannot play with the future of our students.”

Taking pride

“It is always a proud moment for me when I see my students in leading positions,” said Professor Dr Abuzar Wajidi in his welcome note at the gathering, thanking the Express Media Group for promoting the message of teaching and motivating others to join the profession. “When I look at them as chancellors and chairpersons at universities, I feel immense pride in knowing that these were once children whom I taught.”

Talking to the students present at the event, Dr Wajidi told them that they should consider themselves teachers too as teachers tend to learn a lot from their students. “You can win the hearts of others not by earning money but by transferring knowledge to them.”

DPA teacher Mustafa Haider shared how he began his journey as an educator. “I used to give home tuitions to students for Rs250 when I was completing my Intermediate and there has been no looking back,” he said. “For me, teaching has indeed been a passion for the past 15 years.”

The Aao Parhao team presented recognition awards to 11 teachers, with project assistant manager Mohsin Leghari also giving away a water-cooler to the Ehsaas Trust with the message that teachers should be facilitated at any cost. He praised the efforts of DPA brand ambassador Yamna Batool and others, many of whom hailed from the same educational institution. Leghari further announced tours to the printline factory for the Aao Parhao ambassadors to commemorate their support for the campaign.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 4^th, 2015.