Alif Ailaan with his partner Kafka Welfare
Organization has organized a School Management Committees Convention at Punjab
University Lahore to discuss the issues and structure of SMCs, school funds,
teacher and parent’s issues of public schools. The aim of event was to discuss
highlight voice of parents to provide their children a better quality
education. MNA Shafqat Mahmood, MPA Murad Ras, Schools Heads, Teachers and
Parents participated in the session.
Shafqat Mehmood, MNA NA-126 Said:
· I am forced to say this with
deep regret that we, as a nation, haven’t given education the priority that it
deserves in the last 60 years.
·
With regards to the suggestions
regarding the effectiveness of SMCs, Shafqat Mehmood noted that the
collaboration between SMCs and local councils could drastically improve
educational outcomes in schools.
·
Shafqat Mehmood identified
three key issues pertaining to education; including missing facilities, lack of
teacher training and nepotism in recruitment's.
Muraad Raas, MPA PP-152 Said:
·
I visited this girls’ school in
Ganga Ice Factory. I went to a classroom where half the students were sitting on
the few chairs that were available while the other half were sitting on the
floor. I could imagine how those sitting on the floor would be wondering, “why
am I sitting on the floor while my friend gets to take the chair?” Through the
very windows of the classroom, they could see the private school where children
are playing basketball on lavishly carpeted grounds. I ask myself, are we really
educating our children by creating such environments or are we wounding them
psychologically?
·
Recurrent issues raised by the
audience included lack of basic facilities, lack of sufficient monetary
incentives for teachers and lack of quality education in government schools. In
this regard, Saniya, a teacher at Punjab University presented her personal
case. Hailing from a government school herself, Sania went on to pursue her PhD
in Political Science and is currently teaching at Punjab University. She shared
her critical observation of there being a lack of focus on confidence-building,
personality development and inculcation of ethics by teachers in government
schools.
·
Despite several issues raised,
several parents and teachers noted that the majority of government schools in Model
Town were functioning well. A good majority of the teachers in these schools had
an academic qualification equivalent to M.Phil, while a few had post doctorate
degrees as well. One head master, however, noted that the monthly salary being
paid to an M.Phil pass teacher was as low as PKR 20,000. Without adequate
monetary incentives, any hopes for retaining or attracting qualified teachers
in government schools are at best misplaced. Furthermore, another head master
from a school in Model Town noted that despite the political representatives
reaffirming better functioning of government schools in the constituency, none
of the representatives at various tiers had their own children enrolled in
these “good government schools”. “All I ask is for them to give us a chance. To
come visit and see for themselves”, noted the head master.
·
A union Councillor from Model
Town stated on the occasion that councils at union and tehsil level could play
an instrumental role in the resolution of education issues at schools but as of
now, no decision-making authority rested with the local councils.
