Secular academic environment is needed for educational growth in Pakistan, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Chairman Dr Mehdi Hassan said on Saturday.
He made these remarks while addressing a seminar titled “Festival to acknowledge teachers contribution in nation building”, organised by the Ali Institute of Education, Lahore. Hassan said that the curriculum of subjects should cover human rights education, democratic traditions, forbearance and education of peace. The seminar included panel discussions, book launching and free professional workshops on educational and professional aspects. A panel discussion was held on “Teachers for tomorrow’s Pakistan: Expectations and Challenges”. The HRCP chairman said that Pakistan’s academic curriculum was outdated, which needed to be updated on modern lines. He said that students were not taught human rights education and teachers should pay attention towards the issue. Hassan told the audience that human rights education was necessary for creating a civilised society.
He lamented that different education systems were being followed in the country, which was a drawback of the country’s education policy. The HRCP chairman said that teachers were facing financial problems and educational institutions lacked good infrastructure.
Dr Shahid Siddiqui said that economic disparity was a great hurdle in attaining quality education. He urged teachers to play a key role in transferring good skills to their students. Siddiqui said that teachers should act like reflective practitioners instead of technicians. Dr Arfa Syeda Zehra emphasised upon the need for recognising the role of national language and history in education. She urged teachers to contribute to the character building of students and encourage critical thinking amongst them.
Siddiqui’s book “Re-thinking Education” was also launched on the occasion. Ali Institute of Education Director Dr Nayyar and IER’s Dr Nasir Mehmood shared their views on the valuable addition of books in Pakistan’s educational scenario. Siddiqui commented on the plight of Pakistan’s education sector with reference to his book. The seminar was attended by a large number of students and teachers from different educational institutions.
