Aao Parhao drive reaches Quaid’s alma mater

Students urged to refrain from considering teaching as a profession of last resort.

KARACHI: After a series of campus drives across the city’s various educational institutes, the Aao Parhao drive reached Quaid-e-Azam’s alma mater, Sindh Madressatul Islam University (SMIU), on Wednesday.

One of the oldest Muslim educational institutions in the sub-continent, SMIU opened its doors to the campaign that urges the youth to teach others what they have learned. The session kicked off with a note of gratitude to all the teachers of the university for their hard work into preparing the leaders of tomorrow.



Head of academic affairs and student affairs adviser, Prof Dr Aurangzeb, took the stage amid roaring applause. There were over 150 universities awarding degrees in different disciplines, who have hired millions of teachers in Pakistan, he pointed out, asking how many of these teachers adopted this profession willingly?

“When we fail to get into the corporate world or do not end up becoming a doctor or an engineer, we end up becoming a teacher,” he said, urging students to not consider teaching a profession of last resort. “You are the ones who can turn teaching into one of the noblest profession of our society,” he said.

SMIU Vice Chancellor Muhammad Ali Shaikh told the jubilant crowd about how Mohammad Ali Jinnah attended this institute nearly 125 years ago. “This was a typical government school, when I became the principal here,” he recalled. “I, along with my team, turned it into a national-level university.”

Shaikh was proud to claim that he adopted this profession willingly, unlike others. “When I passed my CSS exam, I wanted to become a teacher, whereas all my peers opted for other sectors,” he said. “When a teacher dies, he leaves his image in the shape of his students. When I die you all will reflect me,” he said, pointing to his students.

The head of the education department at SMIU, Dr Anjum Bano Kazmi, told The Express Tribune that there were four basic pillars of education: teachers, students, the curriculum and the environment. “I congratulate the Express Media Group for promoting the first and foremost pillar that is usually ignored in our society,” she said. “It must be mandatory for all the students, who are ready to step into the professional world, to teach at least two students before awarding them their degrees.”

The ceremony ended with the distribution of recognition awards to as many as 13 teachers for their excellence in teaching by Aao Parhao assistant manager Mohsin Leghari.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2015.