Daily Times

Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave. (Hadith) Badin is about 220 kms to east from Karachi — a business, trade and industrial hub. It has remained midpoint of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) since last four decades. Badin has largest oil and gas fields. It is a swampy, fertile, and suitable for growing rice and sugarcane. It has the largest tomato producing districts in Pakistan. Despite that according to human development index district is under lowest in HDI rank. During the last two decades, unprecedented floods and heavy rains have wreaked havoc on already impoverished people. The majority of people’s source of income is either agriculture or rearing livestock. But since the last couple of years, agricultural fields have been devastated by floods and heavy rains or shortage of water.

Though, people of Badin are simple and modest. Literacy ratio of the district is lowest in Pakistan as illiteracy is the foremost obstacle to development for poor people of Badin. If the education system is improved, development and prosperity of district is long-established.

Education is a key indicator of progress and prosperity. It heals poor from poverty and hunger, makes masses and society ethically and morally enriched. Throughout the history, it has been considered an instrumental for long-run development. Unfortunately, our very basic human development indicator — education is in a pathetic state of affairs. Instead of going upward education graph is dwindling. Owing to the miserable education system, it has resulted in poor quality of life, socio-economic disparities, gender discrimination, and increasing social evils etc.

Here, I would like to share a real-life story of an alarming education state in one of the schools of Badin. It is a government primary school Haji Ali Bux Chandio located some 8 kilometers to Badin-Karachi road, union council Kadi Kazia Tehsil and district Badin. When early in the morning at the school time, I observed the students coming from various villages from different directions with stitched dresses, torn shoes, innocent faces, some have hoary schools bags and others have held the books in their hands. They have slates, and pens are hanging in their hands. They look all the way away from worldly torments and suffering. However, they are innocent do not have experience of the cruel world that how in future without quality education they are going to be treated.

Education helps the unfortunate escape poverty and hunger, and enriches society morally. It has been considered a tool for long-term development throughout history

Though, no one pays much heed to children’s education, especially in Sindh province. This is what is happening with government primary school Haji Ali Bux Chandio. The school has only one teacher Mr Younis Chandio, who teaches 100 students all boys in the school. On inquiring from him why only boys in the school, he said that ‘due to unavailability of basic facilities parents do not allow their girls to go to school.’

I was terribly shocked when I saw that school does not even have basic facilities.

It is a challenging task for Mr Younis who teaches over hundred students from first to fifth grades. Each grade has seven subjects, how can only one teacher manage to teach 35 subjects in six hours a day. It is more than impossible and a point to ponder for those who claim that education has improved. Here the future of our children is at the stake. The teacher said that ‘lots of girls of the area are interested to get the education but due to the unavailability of sitting arrangements, no girl has been enrolled in the school.’ Further, Mr Younis said that ‘I have been working since 2008 in this school, have requested higher authorities for the building but so far no stone is turned. Innocent children are compelled to study in such undesirable environment.’ He said that ‘students are very intelligent but it becomes very challenging to give them a quality education.’

It is requested from concerned departments, ministry and Sindh government to take the matter seriously. Besides, the intellectuals, educationists, and policymakers are also requested to work on improving our education system.

The writer is associated with Indus Consortium as Research Officer

Published in Daily Times, April 24^th 2018.