The joint action committee of teachers celebrated World Teachers’ Day on Wednesday. Lahore Education Executive District Officer (EDO) Pervez Akhtar and Lahore Schools Additional Secretary Schools Qaiser Saleem were the chief guests on the occasion.
The speakers paid homage to teachers’ services. Punjab Teachers Union President Sajjad Kazmi said that it was unfortunate that World Teachers’ Day was not celebrated at the state level even though teachers held the status of spiritual fathers of the nation. He said that teachers would continue their struggle to attain their rights and that society could only progress through good teachers. Qaiser Saleem appreciated the role of teachers and said that he would take steps to preserve the teachers’ rights. Awards and shields were also distributed among 70 teachers. Separately, Punjab Secretary Literacy and Non-formal Basic Education Dr Allah Bakhsh Malik said at the Punjab Literacy Resource Centre that in order to progress as a nation we had to give teachers a high status in society. Project Director Capacity Building Ubaid Ullah Khokhar, JICA Advisor Chiho Ohashi, Project Coordinator Abid Gull, JICA team and teachers of non-formal literacy schools and officers of Capacity Building Project participated in the celebration. Malik said that non-formal basic education instructors had to work harder than formal teachers because of multi-grade teaching. He said that the role of teachers had to be realised in the real sense. Malik provided written material and books about literacy to a teacher Riffat Perveen of Literacy and Non-formal Basic Education Department and assured further steps for the welfare of teachers in future. Ubaidullah Khokhar highlighted the role of teachers in nation building and the importance of World Teachers’ Day. Later, the participants paid tributes to the best teachers of their life. The teachers highlighted their role in promoting education and the issues faced by this sector and stressed that non-formal educators should be recognised like formal educators.